M-SHORAD Increment 4

History

In the early 2000s the U.S. Army divested short-range air defense (SHORAD) units from its force structure, reducing them to two Active Component battalions and seven Army National Guard battalions operating Avenger systems and C-RAM batteries. The exponential growth in unmanned aerial systems and their demonstrated effectiveness in conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, prompted the Army to restore and expand SHORAD capability for maneuver forces.

M-SHORAD Increment 1, built on the M-1126 Stryker platform, entered initial fielding in April 2021 when the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment received its first four systems. On June 14, 2024, the Army designated the overall program SGT STOUT in honor of Sergeant Mitchell William Stout, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War. On May 8, 2024, the Army issued a request for information for M-SHORAD Increment 4, targeting air defense capability to support dismounted maneuver and light formations. General Dynamics Land Systems is scheduled to display a version of the Increment 4 system mounted on a Ford Ranger pickup truck at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting in October 2026.

Design

M-SHORAD Increment 4 is designed to converge the common capabilities of M-SHORAD Increment 1 (SGT Stout) and the Mobile Low, Slow, Small, Unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS) into a single, more flexible modular solution. The system is intended for the Army’s Light Divisional Air Defense Battalions supporting Mobile Brigade Combat Teams, providing defense against threats ranging from swarms of small drones to large unmanned aerial systems and fixed-wing aircraft.

The program prioritizes Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) compliance, C-130 transportability, airdrop capability, and sling-load transport. Increment 4 systems are designed to integrate command-and-control at the forward edge of the battlefield, support multiple sensors and effectors, and mount on a range of light platforms including the Infantry Squad Vehicle, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, robotic ground vehicles, and commercial light trucks. The design emphasizes modularity, networked early-warning and engagement management, human-machine integration, and AI-enabled automation while minimizing lifecycle cost and leveraging existing logistics infrastructure.

Weapons turret

Moog developed the Lightweight Reconfigurable Integrated Weapons Platform (LW RIwP) turret specifically for M-SHORAD Increment 4. The LW RIwP is a compact derivative of the Standard RIwP (SD RIwP) turret used on Increment 1 and M-LIDS, sharing 95 percent of its components. It provides a 30 mm automatic gun and multiple missile or rocket effectors in a package weighing less than 431 kg (950 lb), roughly one-third the weight of the SD RIwP. The design substitutes aluminum for steel and narrows the turret ring to accommodate slimmer vehicle beds. Shared software, training procedures, user interfaces, and sustainment infrastructure between the two turret variants reduce lifecycle cost while retaining the accuracy and reliability demonstrated in the SGT Stout and M-LIDS programs.

Program status

The Army issued its request for information for Increment 4 on May 8, 2024, with industry responses due July 16, 2024. The program is structured in three phases: near-term capabilities targeted for fiscal years 2027–2028, mid-term capabilities for fiscal years 2030–2032, and far-term capabilities beyond fiscal year 2035. As of the available evidence, no production start or fielding date has been confirmed for Increment 4.

Related equipment

• M-SHORAD Increment 1 (SGT Stout) — the current Stryker-based short-range air defense system from which Increment 4 converges capabilities.
• M-LIDS — the Mobile Low, Slow, Small, Unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System, another predecessor whose capabilities are incorporated into Increment 4.
• Moog SD RIwP — the Standard Reconfigurable Integrated Weapons Platform turret used on Increment 1 and M-LIDS, serving as the design basis for the Increment 4 LW RIwP turret.