Overview
- BAE introduced two systems at AUSA 2026: a High‑Power Microwave (HPM) directed‑energy system for disabling groups of drones and a Multi‑Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) that fires Hypervelocity Projectiles and the Scorpio‑XR guided round.
- The company says the HPM reached Technology Readiness Level 6 after outdoor range testing that included extensive microwave‑pulse trials and that the system is built from more than 99 percent commercial off‑the‑shelf parts.
- MDACS is described as an air‑transportable kinetic layer designed to deliver high‑rate fire with HVPs for air defense and Scorpio‑XR for longer‑range strikes against fixed and moving ground targets.
- BAE frames the two systems as complementary, lower‑cost layers meant to reduce use of expensive interceptors and ease logistics, but neither system is fielded and final government testing and procurement decisions remain pending.
- The unveiling follows prior prototype development work with the Army and reported planned funding through fiscal 2027, and it fits a broader Pentagon push to test layered counter‑UAS and counter‑missile options that mix directed energy, high‑rate kinetic weapons, and existing missile systems.