General Dynamics Land Systems has stepped up and proactively developed a new variant of its air defense system based on the Pandur 6x6 chassis, accordingly designated Pandur SHORAD, as a proposed anti-drone solution for U.S. Army infantry brigades.
In a pragmatic approach, the company invested in existing technologies rather than creating from scratch: the system is essentially a transfer of the RIwP weapon system onto a different chassis. The same RIwP turret is already in service with the U.S. Army, mounted on the Stryker 8x8 chassis in the IM-SHORAD system, which was officially renamed Sgt Stout in mid-2024.
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While IM-SHORAD is intended for mechanized brigades, its Pandur-based counterpart is designed specifically for infantry units, which rely on lighter platforms with combat weight limitations. The Pandur vehicle's unequipped weight is about 12 tons, to increase with extra armor applied, compared to Stryker's 16+ tons.
However, this would introduce a new chassis into U.S. military service, as the Pandur is not currently used by American forces.
To simplify the design, the Pandur SHORAD omits the Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) from Leonardo. The radar detected threats at ranges of up to 40 km and altitudes of up to 10 km. Instead, a separate radar-equipped vehicle would likely handle detection and target designation.
The RIwP weapon station remains unchanged, featuring a 30mm M230LF automatic cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun, and missiles. The demonstration model shown by the company is armed only with Stinger missiles, though the system is also integrated with AGM-114L Hellfire missiles, as seen in IM-SHORAD.
Pandur SHORAD will debut at the AUSA exhibition from March 25 to 27. This way, General Dynamics Land Systems demonstrates its belief in the growing demand for such systems. Moreover, the company is ready to compete with existing models, such as the already operational M-LIDS, based on an even lighter Oshkosh M-ATV chassis.
The introduction of additional anti-aircraft gun–based air defense systems once again raises questions about the effectiveness of alternative solutions. For example, the DE IM-SHORAD system, armed with a 50-kilowatt laser from RTX for counter-drone operations, failed to impress the U.S. military during experimental testing.
That is why automatic cannons remain the most economically viable option for countering drones, reinforcing the general renaissance of anti-aircraft artillery. Often it's the speed of development that becomes a key factor in modern air defense.
Another notable example is Saab’s novelty, the Loke system, which was assembled from existing components in just 84 days using a modular, "Lego-like" approach.
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