BAE Systems unveils layered air-defense system: game-changing multi-layer missile shield

At the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference on Monday, BAE Systems announced two new layered air-defense solutions intended to defend against missiles and unmanned aerial threats.

The global defense contractor introduced the Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) alongside a High-Power Microwave (HPM) capability, presenting them as complementary options to safeguard both fixed sites and deployed formations.

Travis Langer, communications manager for BAE Systems, told Military Times the pair of offerings aim to close a capability gap created by rapidly evolving threats and the pace of traditional defense acquisitions.

He said both systems are designed to augment current air-defense architectures while providing more economical ways to handle massed, low-cost threats—preserving expensive interceptors for the highest-value targets and stretching the utility of missile inventories.

The Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) Explained

BAE characterizes MDACS as the kinetic element in its proposed defensive stack. The system employs precision-guided rounds known as Hypervelocity Projectiles (HVPs) for both defensive intercepts and offensive firepower.

Langer described MDACS as filling a role that conventional tube artillery cannot, delivering a scalable protection layer that works in concert with higher-end systems. He emphasized its potential to provide sustained defenses without consuming expensive assets on every engagement.

MDACS leverages the HVP’s combination of pinpoint guidance and very high speeds to shorten engagement times and reduce the window adversaries have to react. BAE said the program is working with the Army to fuse organic sensors and link into the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), helping the capability remain effective in GPS-denied conditions.

Compared with typical missile interceptors, HVPs are smaller and cost less, enabling units to carry dozens or even hundreds of rounds. Rather than using a rocket motor, the rounds rely on a low-drag aerodynamic shape to reach extreme speeds, maneuver, and achieve longer ranges.

For strike missions, MDACS will fire the Scorpio-XR, a new member of the HVP family intended for use by artillery formations. BAE says the Scorpio-XR is expected to roughly double the range of existing precision 155mm cannon munitions.

Langer noted MDACS will employ HVPs for air defense tasks—including countering missiles and C-UAS missions—while the Scorpio-XR variant will tackle fixed and moving ground targets within contested environments.

Reports indicate BAE secured an Army agreement in January 2025 to build an MDACS prototype, and the service had planned roughly $646 million in spending on the effort through fiscal 2027.

High-Power Microwave (HPM) System Details

BAE describes its HPM offering as a scalable directed-energy weapon designed with cost-effectiveness in mind. The company says roughly 99% of the system’s components are commercial off-the-shelf items.

Instead of kinetic means, the HPM uses concentrated electromagnetic energy to neutralize airborne threats—particularly massed, low-cost systems such as drone swarms that can overwhelm traditional defenses.

In a company simulation, the HPM is depicted mounted on a trailer in an open area. Automatic sensors detect an approaching swarm, a large magnetic assembly shifts into place, and the system fires what BAE characterizes as “billions of pulses” at the incoming unmanned aircraft.

Although still a prototype, the HPM has reportedly reached Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6), meaning the technology has been demonstrated in a relevant operational environment beyond lab tests.

How the Systems Fit into a Layered Air-Defense

Langer stressed the two offerings were not built exclusively to work together, but they can complement one another if mission needs call for it.

He highlighted that MDACS is transportable by a C-130 aircraft, enabling rapid deployment of high-volume, high-rate fires wherever required. The system is intended to shield critical assets from drones and missile threats by adding an efficient, scalable defensive layer.

By contrast, he described the HPM as providing effective wide-area protection that can sit alongside existing kinetic and missile defenses, helping form a more comprehensive protective umbrella for bases and forward elements.

On the timeline for fielding, Langer reiterated both systems remain in the prototype phase and noted that final test and qualification decisions rest with government authorities.