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Updated May 30, 2023
U.S. Army’s Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD)
System
Background
18 additional systems for training, operational spares, and
The Army is procuring and continuing to develop a new
testing, for a total of 162 systems.
maneuver short-range air defense system, or M-SHORAD.
This system would perform short-range air defense, or
M-SHORAD Variants/Increments
SHORAD. The Army defines the SHORAD mission as:
While M-SHORAD is primarily intended to defend
maneuver forces against air threats, it also has the capability
Dedicated air defense artillery (ADA) and non-
to engage a range of ground targets. There are three M-
dedicated air defense capabilities that enable
SHORAD variants, or “Increments,” envisioned by the
movement
and
maneuver
by
destroying,
Army.
neutralizing, or deterring low altitude air threats to
defend critical fixed and semi-fixed assets and
Figure 1. M-SHORAD Increment I
maneuver forces.
Legacy SHORAD ADA systems include the FIM-92
Stinger missile, the Avenger system, and the Land-Based
Phalanx Weapons System (LPWS), which is employed
against rockets, artillery, and mortars.
In the early 2000s, the Army divested ADA units from
Army force structure to free up personnel to create other
types of units deemed more mission-critical at the time. The
Army supposedly accepted the risk because it believed the
Source: https://www.leonardodrs.com/what-we-do/products-and-
U.S. Air Force could maintain air superiority. After 2005,
services/m-shorad/.
SHORAD force structure was reduced to two battalions of
Active Component Avenger systems and Counter-Rocket,
M-SHORAD Increment 1
Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) batteries and seven National
M-SHORAD Increment 1 (Figure 1) was developed under
Guard Avenger battalions.
the Other Transaction Authority contracting process. M-
SHORAD uses the M-1126 Stryker combat vehicle as its
Renewed Emphasis on SHORAD
chassis. The weapons and radar packages are configured by
Since 2005, there has been a dramatic increase in air and
Leonardo DRS and then installed on the Stryker by General
missile platforms that could threaten U.S. ground forces.
Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), the vehicle’s original
The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has increased
manufacturer. Leonardo DRS reports the multipurpose
exponentially, and UASs have been used successfully in a
unmanned turret includes
variety of conflicts, including the current Russo-Ukrainian
conflict. Furthermore, fixed-wing aircraft, attack
• two AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles capable of
helicopters, and cruise missiles continue to evolve, posing a
hitting ground targets;
growing threat to U.S. ground forces. Given the increase in
• four FIM-92 Stinger missiles for aerial targets in a
threat and limited air defense assets available to Army
launcher (configured by Raytheon);
divisions, the Army decided to improve the air defense
posture of its maneuver forces.
• an XM914 30 mm automatic cannon;
M-SHORAD Requirement
• an M-240 7.62 mm machine gun;
In response to the growing aerial threat, the Army plans to
• a multi-mission radar capable of tracking both ground
field 144 M-SHORAD Increment 1 systems to four
and air targets.
battalions and could field to additional battalions in the
future. Each M-SHORAD battalion would consist of 40 M-
FY2024 M-SHORAD Increment 1 Budget Request
SHORAD systems, support vehicles and equipment, and
According to FY2024 Army budget documents, the Army
about 550 soldiers. In April 2021, the 5th Battalion, 4th Air
requested $400.697 million in procurement funding for 22
Defense Artillery Regiment received the first four of its M-
M-SHORAD Increment 1 systems.
SHORAD systems, becoming fully equipped by late 2022.
The Army plans to field the second M-SHORAD battalion
in fourth quarter of FY2023. In addition to the 144 systems
designated for operational units, the Army plans to procure
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U.S. Army’s Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) System
Figure 2. M-SHORAD Increment 2
Considerations for Congress
Oversight questions Congress could consider include the
following:
Lessons Learned from the Russo-Ukraine Conflict
The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict has featured the use
of a variety of military and commercial UASs employed in
both kinetic and non-kinetic roles. In addition to both fixed
and rotary wing air threats, loitering munitions have also
been employed, reportedly with considerable effect.
Lessons learned related to the employment of the
aforementioned systems may inform current and future
Source: https://www.army.mil/.
development of all three M-SHORAD Increments.
Congress may consider what efforts have been undertaken
M-SHORAD Increment 2
by the Army to incorporate lessons learned into M-
SHORAD design. Furthermore, as threat capabilities
M-SHORAD Increment 2 (Figure 2) is also referred to as
evolve, is the M-SHORAD’s design flexible enough to
DE (Directed Energy) M-SHORAD and would incorporate
a 50 kilowatt (KW) laser as its primary armament to defend
incorporate new lessons learned into future system
upgrades?
against a variety of air and artillery threats. Efforts to
develop the 50 KW laser began in 2019, and in 2021,
Limitations of Laser Weapons
Raytheon was awarded a $123 million developmental
Incorporating lasers as part of M-SHORAD Increment 2
contract after a competitive shoot-off against Northrop
could be advantageous: there are logistical benefits to not
Grumman. The Army reports additional testing of the 50
KW laser has enjoyed success against a variety of drones,
requiring traditional munitions, and the laser’s precision can
help to preclude collateral damage and casualties.
but according to Army program officials, “challenges
remain” in terms of defending against rockets, artillery
However, there are also limitations associated with lasers,
, and
mortars. Army plans call for M-SHORAD Increment 2 to
including atmospheric and weather effects; effects of
smoke, dust, and other obscurants; and attenuation of the
start a user assessment beginning in the fourth quarter of
laser beam over distance, which limits the laser’s effective
FY2023, running through the first quarter of FY2024. The
Army also plans for an additional final contract competition
range. Furthermore, threat aerial systems can be modified to
prior to FY2025.
mitigate laser attacks.
FY2024 M-SHORAD Increment 2 Budget Request
Given the limitations of Increment 2’s laser system,
Congress may consider how the Army plans to compensate
According to FY2024 Army budget documents, the Army
for these potential shortcomings. Is a mixed fleet of
requested $110.625 million in Research, Development,
Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funding to develop a 50
Increment 2 and Increment 1 and 3 systems envisioned as
KW laser and prototype vehicles.
the solution, and, if so, what is the planned mix of M-
SHORAD variants to ensure maximum effectiveness under
M-SHORAD Increment 3
all battlefield conditions?
The Army reportedly plans for M-SHORAD Increment 3 to
Adequacy of Proposed M-SHORAD
incorporate the FIM-92 Stinger replacement missile—the
Force Structure
Next Generation Short Range Interceptor—into the
At present, there are 11 Active divisions and eight National
Increment 1 system. In addition, these plans call for the
Guard divisions in the U.S. Army. Under the pre-2000
Increment 1 30 mm automatic cannons to receive the XM
1223 Multi-Mode Proximity Airburst munition (MMPA),
SHORAD force structure construct, each division had its
own dedicated SHORAD battalion. While the Army has
which features a multipurpose munition that can be
suggested it could create additional M-SHORAD battalions
employed against air, ground, and personnel targets. In
March 2023, the Army reportedly selected Lockheed
over and above the current four planned battalions,
Congress may consider whether four M-SHORAD
Martin and Raytheon Technologies to develop competing
battalions are adequate for the Total Force (Active,
prototypes of a Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor.
The Army has indicated it is planning for a technology
Reserve, and National Guard). If more than four battalions
are required, how many M-SHORAD systems and soldiers
demonstration in FY2024, an operational demonstration in
FY2026, and a production decision by FY2027.
will be required to create additional M-SHORAD
battalions?
FY2024 M-SHORAD Increment 3 Budget Request
According to FY2024 Army Budget Documents, the Army
requested $160.426 million in RDT&E funding for
Increment 3 developmental activities, including integration
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
of the new 30 mm MMPA munition.
IF12397
https://crsreports.congress.gov
U.S. Army’s Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) System
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12397 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED