Duncan Looi
BAE Systems unveiled two breakthrough air defence technologies at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition 2026. The Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) and the High Power Microwave (HPM) provide key layered counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) as well as counter-missile capabilities built to protect critical installations and maneuverer forces against saturation drone attacks.
MDACS and HPM address the gap of the threats posed by massed drone swarms which have outpaced the capacity of traditional, magazine-limited kinetic systems to respond. This pairing combines the precision of high-velocity kinetics with the near-limitless capacity of directed energy to deliver sustained, cost-efficient defence.
“The threat environment is evolving faster than traditional procurement cycles can keep up with. By leveraging a validated technical core and a resilient supply chain, we are delivering a high-maturity solution that ensures that as long as there is power, there is defence,” said BAE System’s Vice President of Weapon Systems Jason Casciotti.
Forming the kinetic layer of the shield, the air-transportable and highly agile MDACS delivers offensive and defensive versatility across the battlefield through a family of precision-guided munitions tailored to the target. For air defence, it fires the Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP), a next-generation guided round. The HVP is a next-generation, common, low drag, guided projectile capable of executing multiple missions for a number of gun systems, such as naval 5-inch guns and 155mm systems, in addition to future electromagnetic (EM) railguns. In order to strike fixed and moving ground targets in contested environments, it fires Scorpio-XR, a precision-guided munition that doubles the range of existing 155mm cannon-launched projectiles.
Meanwhile, the HPM forms the directed energy layer, built on a high-maturity architecture with more than 99% commercial off-the-shelf components, the system removes the logistical constraints of traditional ammunition entirely. It delivers a continuous defensive capability capable of defeating drone swarms for as long as power is available, a critical advantage as adversaries field larger and more coordinated drone formations.
The HPM system generates high power microwave pulses to disrupt or destroy target electronics and systems at the speed of light, providing a continuous, low-cost-per-shot alternative to conventional missiles and ammunition. It operates on a bottomless magazine principle as long as power is available, making it especially effective against drone swarms and other targets that could quickly exhaust traditional stockpiles
Both systems represent a shift toward more resilient and adaptable defence options by moving proven capability from the tech lab to the front line at an accelerated pace, without sacrificing the reliability Soldiers require on the battlefield.-–shp/adj/dl (Pix:BAE)
