The U.S. Army is seeking $66 million in funding in 2025 for the rapid prototyping of MDACS 155 mm air defence artillery with guided rounds.
Taking a different approach to air defence, the U.S. Army is aiming for a 155 mm artillery cannon with guided hypervelocity projectiles against cruise missiles and UAVs.
Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) combines a 155 mm cannon, guided hypervelocity rounds, and Multi-Function Precision Radar (MFPR) to perform low-altitude air defence like a SAM but with higher capacity.
After MFPR acquires the target and the cannon is fired, the radar provides the guided round with course corrections to intercept the target through aerodynamic controls.
A similar concept is used on the Italian STRALES 76 mm naval gun, which fires DART-guided rounds with a muzzle velocity of Mach 3.5 and proximity fuse guided by the onboard illumination radar like a SARH missile. The idea saw some success against Houthi UAVs during security operations in the Red Sea.
While the muzzle velocity of 155 mm hypervelocity rounds is higher at Mach 6 due to higher propellant charge, a challenge with the MDACS would be a lower fire rate than a SAM, even in the presence of an autoloader. Thus, responding to saturation attacks will require multiple artillery units and possibly radars.
