BAE Air Defence Systems: BAE Systems has introduced two new defence systems at the AUSA 2026 exhibition in Washington, DC. The systems are designed to help the US Army tackle threats from drone swarms and missiles on the battlefield. The company unveiled the Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) and a High Power Microwave (HPM) system on October 12.
Both systems are still at the capability demonstration stage and aren’t yet production-ready. BAE Systems plans to use them as part of a layered air defence setup that can deal with different threats using more than one method.
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BAE Systems MDACS
The Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) is designed to attack threats in the air as well as targets on the ground. It uses a 155mm cannon mounted on a mobile platform, so it can move with military units when needed.
For air defence, the system can fire Hypervelocity Projectiles (HVPs) to stop incoming threats. It can also use Scorpio-XR precision-guided ammunition to hit targets that are moving or staying in one place. According to BAE Systems, Scorpio-XR can travel twice as far as existing 155mm cannon-fired projectiles, reported Defense news.
The system is also designed to be moved by air, which can help troops take it to different locations. It could give the military another way to deal with incoming threats without using costly interceptor missiles every time.
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High Power Microwave System to Take on Drone Swarms
The second system uses high-power microwave energy to attack several drones at once. Instead of firing a missile or shell at each drone, it uses electromagnetic energy to disrupt or disable them. BAE Systems says more than 99% of the system’s parts are commercially available. This could make it cheaper and easier to produce. The system can keep attacking groups of drones as long as it has power. It also reduces the need to carry large amounts of ammunition.
