The U.S. Army has announced its intention to enter into an agreement with the defense company BAE Systems for the production of a prototype of a 155-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system designated MDAC, which can be used for intercepting cruise missiles and drones.
To facilitate this agreement, a non-standard mechanism known as Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) is planned to be utilized, as BAE Systems is considered the only contractor capable of developing this anti-aircraft system. This information was reported by the portal The War Zone.
Currently, it is anticipated that by the fourth quarter of the 2027 fiscal year, American military forces will receive the first prototype of the MDAC anti-aircraft battery, with the first demonstration of this system's capabilities scheduled for the 2028 fiscal year.
The MDAC battery is expected to consist of eight self-propelled 155-mm artillery systems with a total ammunition load of 144 hypervelocity projectiles (HVP), four multifunctional radars (MFPR), and two control points (MDBM).
Furthermore, specific requirements have been outlined for the 155-mm anti-aircraft artillery systems, including the capability for remote operation, especially for firing; the ability for automatic reloading; and sufficiently compact dimensions to fit within the cargo hold of a C-130 aircraft.
At the same time, as emphasized by the authors of TWZ, there are several open questions regarding the development of the MDAC, particularly concerning the configuration of the 155-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system itself.
In this case, there could be an option to utilize the Archer self-propelled howitzer as a base for development, as well as the possibility that BAE Systems will create a fundamentally new artillery system at the request of the U.S. military.
Another unresolved issue pertains to the hypervelocity projectiles (HVP). Initially, HVPs were designed solely in a hit-to-kill configuration, with no explosive warhead planned. However, after some time, BAE Systems also presented developments for HVP variants with fragmentation and high-explosive warheads.
It is also worth noting that the U.S. Army began working on the 155-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system designated MDAC only in 2022.
Previously, in one of our publications, we discussed the idea of intercepting drones and missiles with 155-mm hypervelocity projectiles, even if it sounds exotic, where we particularly highlighted the successful testing of the aforementioned HVP in 2020 and the Japanese project for a 155-mm anti-aircraft artillery system as well.