Global technology firm KBR is espousing the benefits of its recent successful demonstration of its Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) Combat Shoot-Off (CSO) system.
Army soldiers executed a series of vignettes demonstrating laser-equipped Stryker capabilities against representative threats in a realistic environment.
“The successful execution of the DE M-SHORAD system represents a major step forward in getting this state-of-the-art capability to our soldiers on the ground, in line with the Army’s modernization strategy for air and missile defense,” Byron Bright, KBR Government Solutions president, said. “In under two years, the program has rapidly progressed from design to integration and now performing in an operational environment, which is a tremendous accomplishment.”
KBR subsidiary Kord serves as the project’s chief contractor and lead integrator for the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) DE M-SHORAD program, authorities noted.
“Soldier-centered design throughout the prototyping effort is only the start,” Bright said. “The CSO demonstrated that soldiers were able to rapidly learn how to operate the system and quickly demonstrate proficiency in target acquisition, aim point selection, and engagements thanks to state-of-the-art training utilizing immersive technology for the modern soldier.”
According to KBR, DE M-SHORAD is a mobile, 50-kilowatt (kW)-class high energy laser (HEL) possessing capability of delivering counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) and counter-rocket, artillery, mortar (C-RAM) firepower to the modern battlefield.
The program remains on track to deliver four laser-equipped Strykers by the end of fiscal year 2022, per authorities.