Washington: The US Army has chosen BAE Systems to prototype a new artillery cannon, envisioned to defend bases against a variety of threats including unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles and other advanced air threats.
The system has been dubbed the Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon (MDAC) and Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP) prototype. The service announced the selection in a public December 20 notice, which was sole-sourced to BAE, meaning the Pentagon did not hold a competition amongst private industry to determine its vendor.
The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office “has a requirement to develop and deliver a full Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) Battery no later than Q4FY27 followed by an operational demonstration in FY28,” according to the notice. “A full MDACS battery consists of eight Multi-Domain Artillery Cannons, four Multi-Function Precision Radars, two Multi-Domain Battle Managers, and separately, no less than 144 Hypervelocity Projectiles.”
The announcement did not include details about the amount of funding the contract would include, but previously the Army was planning to spend $67 million in fiscal 2025 to kick off its efforts before investing more heavily in future years. The government is currently operating under a continuing resolution, with funding stuck at FY24 levels through at least March.
“Throughout the developmental effort, soldier touchpoints will gather feedback for Army requirements generation and prototype maturation,” the service wrote in its budget justification documents. “MDACS will use the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) and conduct a series of flight tests culminating in a battery-level operational assessment in FY 2028.”
An assessment is expected in 2028 to determine the technology can be fielded, according to the service, which is increasingly prioritising base defence as it preps for a potential conflict in the Pacific.
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