The U.S. Army has announced plans to enter into an agreement with defense contractor BAE Systems for the production of a prototype of a 155-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun designated as MDAC, which will be capable of intercepting cruise missiles and drones.
To facilitate this agreement, an unconventional mechanism known as Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) is set to be utilized, as BAE Systems is considered the sole contractor capable of developing this anti-aircraft system. This was reported by the portal The War Zone.
Currently, it is anticipated that by the fourth quarter of the 2027 fiscal year, U.S. military forces will receive the first prototype of the MDAC anti-aircraft battery, with the first demonstration of the system's capabilities expected to occur in the fiscal year 2028.
The MDAC battery is expected to consist of eight self-propelled 155-mm artillery units with a total ammunition load of 144 hypersonic projectiles (HVP), four multifunctional radars (MFPR), and two command posts (MDBM).
Furthermore, specific requirements have been outlined for the 155-mm anti-aircraft artillery units: they must allow for remote operation, including for firing; feature automatic reloading; and be sufficiently compact to fit within the cargo bay of a C-130 aircraft.
At the same time, as noted by the authors of TWZ, there are several unresolved issues 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 is a possibility of using the Archer self-propelled howitzer as a base for development, but there is also the option that BAE Systems will create a fundamentally new artillery system at the request of the U.S. military.
Another open question remains regarding the hypersonic projectiles (HVP). Initially, HVPs were designed exclusively in a hit-to-kill configuration, without the provision for explosive warheads, but later on, BAE Systems also presented developments for HVP variants with fragmentary-explosive warheads.
It is also important to highlight that the U.S. Army began working on the 155-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system designated MDAC only in 2022.
Earlier in one of our publications, we discussed the idea of using 155-mm hypersonic projectiles to intercept drones and missiles, even if it sounds exotic, where we specifically mentioned the successful testing of the aforementioned HVPs in 2020 and the Japanese project for a 155-mm anti-aircraft artillery system as well.