The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded Thales UK a contract for the assessment phase of its future Mounted Short Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) program, marking a key step toward replacing the British Army’s Stormer HVM self-propelled system. The phase will focus on defining a new mobile platform and a multi-mission launcher tailored to evolving operational needs. Signed through Defence Equipment and Support, the contract supports the modernization of the army’s ground-based air defense capabilities.
Valued at approximately £48 million ($64 million), the assessment phase is expected to run through December 2028. The current MSHORAD capability relies on the Stormer platform equipped with Starstreak and Martlet missiles—systems developed by Thales—designed in the 1990s to counter low-altitude aerial threats such as helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft within a range of about 7 kilometers.
The next-generation system is expected to maintain compatibility with existing missile inventories while incorporating additional capabilities, including a 30mm cannon to counter emerging threats like drones. The base vehicle may be selected from the British Army’s Land Mobility Program, particularly the Medium Protected Mobility category, intended to replace legacy platforms such as Mastiff, Ridgeback, and Wolfhound.
Potential contenders include Moog, which is promoting its modular Reconfigurable Integrated-Weapons Platform (RIwP), capable of integrating multiple weapon systems depending on mission requirements. Meanwhile, Thales UK has partnered with L3Harris Technologies to develop an advanced command-and-control solution, combining tracking and C4I systems to enhance battlefield coordination and responsiveness.
