On January 5, Arlington, VA-based Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced it was awarded a contract to provide additional counter unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) platforms in support of U.S. Army’s Integrated Fires/Rapid Capabilities Office’s ongoing Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS) program.
On October 7, 2022, DRS received approximately $40 million and on November 11, 2022, the company was awarded approximately $20 million through a modification contract.
Under the existing indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, this new task order requires DRS to deliver additional kinetic defeat vehicles and spares. M-LIDS allows soldiers to detect, identify, track, and defeat small UAS with electronic warfare and kinetic defeat systems. The M-LIDS system includes a mix of kinetic defeat effectors including the XM914 (30mm) cannon hosted by the Moog Inc’s Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) turret.
“Leonardo DRS is proud to be a member of the M-LIDS team, and we appreciate the opportunity to deliver additional vehicles. Drones have become a dangerous threat to our warfighters,” said Aaron Hankins, senior vice president and general manager, DRS Land Systems. “Delivering M-LIDS vehicles remains one of our highest priorities, and we are excited about this new task order.”
In March 2022, M-LIDS Increment 2 was identified as a U.S. Army ACAT III program of record, and the U.S. Army leadership directed accelerated deliveries of multiple C-UAS capabilities, including M-LIDS. The two-vehicle capability provides a balance of kinetic and non-kinetic defeat capabilities which have already completed extensive government testing. Several sets of M-LIDS Increment 2 are currently deployed overseas protecting U.S. and allied forces.
The DRS Land Systems business unit serves as the lead systems integrator for this mobile C-UAS capability. The DRS Land Systems business is part of the company’s Integrated Mission Systems segment which provides force protection products and services including counter-unmanned aerial systems, short-range air defense systems, and active protection systems, across multiple platforms for the men and women of the U.S. armed forces.
Source: Leonardo DRS
Start 2023 ahead of the competition with a paid subscription to IC News. You’ll get full access to our searchable archive of 10,000+ articles, plus new articles each weekday.
By Loren Blinde
January 10, 2023
