General Dynamics lands $1.22B Army air defense contract

Systems designed to combat low-altitude aerial threats

Published October 1, 2020 by Sydney Lake

The U.S. Army awarded Reston-based Fortune 100 defense contractor General Dynamics Corp.’s land systems division a potential five-year, $1.22 billion contract to manufacture and test systems that are designed to destroy, neutralize or deter low-altitude aerial threats, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday.

Under the contract, General Dynamics will provide Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense systems (IM-SHORAD) to the military service, according to the DOD. The Army designated General Dynamics’ land systems division as the platform integrator for the IM-SHORAD program.

Last October, General Dynamics unveiled a prototype of the new air defense system during the annual Association of the U.S. Army trade show.

“The Stryker A1 IM-SHORAD vehicle supports the Army’s short-range air defense operational gap,” according to a General Dynamics statement. “Armed with Hellfire and Stinger missiles and a 30mm cannon, its precision firepower defeats unmanned aerial systems as well as fixed wing and rotary wing threats.”

General Dynamics has a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees and generated $39.4 billion in 2019 revenue.

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