Jane Edwards
Col. Chuck Worshim, program manager for cruise missile defense systems at the U.S. Army’s program executive office missiles and space, has said General Dynamics’ land systems business will serve as the platform integrator for the service’s Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense platform, Defense News reported Thursday.
The IM-SHORAD system seeks to address a capability gap in the European theater and would be built around General Dynamics’ Stryker vehicle.
Leonardo DRS has beaten out the team of Boeing and General Dynamics Land Systems to supply a mission equipment package for the Army’s IM-SHORAD system.
The report said the Army expects the negotiation process to conclude by July and intends to award the contract for nine IM-SHORAD prototypes by Aug. 31.
Leonardo DRS will deliver the first equipment package equipped with a Stinger missile launcher by February 2019 in order for General Dynamics to proceed with the SHORAD prototype integration by April of next year.
The service expects the final prototypes to be delivered by the first quarter of fiscal 2020 and Worshim said the Army will perform prototype testing to determine if the program is ready to enter the production phase.
