{"id":70678,"date":"2025-03-25T15:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T15:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/03\/25\/gdls-debuts-short-range-air-defense-option-for-light-units\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:08:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:08:55","slug":"gdls-debuts-short-range-air-defense-option-for-light-units","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2025\/03\/25\/gdls-debuts-short-range-air-defense-option-for-light-units\/","title":{"rendered":"GDLS debuts short-range air defense option for light units"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. \u2014 As the Army looks for solutions for a Short-Range Air Defense system <\/a>for lighter units, General Dynamics Land Systems is debuting an option using a Pandur 6×6 vehicle <\/a>built originally for the Austrian army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pandur vehicle comes from GDLS\u2019 sister company \u2014 European Land Systems company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge \u2014 and was developed in the 1980s. Yet, \u201cwhile it was developed over 40 years ago, it\u2019s gone through several iterations and generational changes and updates of technologies and requirements changes,\u201d said Ray Moldovan, GDLS business development manager. The new version is called Pandur Evolution, or EVO for short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GDLS already provides the Stryker combat vehicle <\/a>for the Army\u2019s fielded Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense system<\/a>, the Sgt. Stout. There is a counter-unmanned aircraft systems version of the Stryker, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are similarities to the Stryker, the Pandur EVO is \u201chighly mobile, highly survivable, scalable,\u201d and has ballistic protection, Moldovan told Defense News. \u201cIt does have a smaller footprint, it\u2019s lighter weight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army is pursuing a number of M-SHORAD modernization efforts following the service\u2019s rapid fielding of an interim solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Development of the M-SHORAD system took place in record time as the result of an urgent operational need identified in 2016 for the European theater.<\/a> The Army received the requirement to build the system in February 2018. It took 19 months from the time the service generated the requirement to the delivery of prototypes for testing in the first quarter of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The M-SHORAD is a Stryker combat vehicle-based platform that includes a mission equipment package designed by Leonardo DRS and RTX\u2019s Stinger vehicle missile launcher. The first platoon to receive it<\/a> deployed to Europe in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army fielded its third Sgt. Stout battalion at Fort Cavazos, Texas. The first M-SHORAD battalion remains in Germany,<\/a> and the second is based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\t