The U.S. Army has introduced a surface-to-air combat vehicle named "Sergeant Stu," currently undergoing live-fire exercises at Fort Hood to determine its ability to defend against drones and low-altitude threats. According to U.S. media reports, "Sergeant Stu" was developed under the "Mobile Short-Range Air Defense" (M-SHORAD) program. For a long time, the U.S. Army's field air defense capabilities have been very limited, often relying only on the "Stinger" portable air defense missiles, with slightly better options being the AN/TWQ-1 "Avenger" air defense vehicle mounted on Humvee high-mobility vehicles, which integrates eight "Stinger" missiles and a 12.7mm machine gun, but lacks sufficient sighting systems.
The U.S. Army's field air defense firepower has been weak for a long time, mainly because the U.S. Air Force and Navy are strong, and they can basically control the air superiority of the battlefield. In this context, the U.S. Army has only the "Avenger" air defense system and the "Stinger" portable air defense missile, which is enough. However, the current battlefield threats are more difficult to guard against, such as drones, rockets, and mortars. Therefore, the U.S. Army's air defense capabilities appear too weak. Under the pressure of the new situation, the U.S. Army quickly developed the "Sergeant Stu" mobile air defense vehicle.
The vehicle is based on an 8×8 Striker armored vehicle chassis, equipped with a defensive weapon turret. The main air defense weapon is a 30mm machine gun model XM914 developed by Northrop Grumman (a land-based version of the M230 machine gun used in the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter), capable of using programmable airburst ammunition to attack both aerial and ground targets. Northrop Grumman stated that the programmable airburst ammunition aims for "rapid fire and precision," requiring only one or two shells to destroy a drone. The auxiliary air defense weapons are four-round "Stinger" missile launchers added on both sides of the 30mm machine gun.
The sighting system includes an electro-optical/infrared turret integrated with a laser rangefinder, the L3 Harris vehicle-mounted fire control radar, and the command system from Leonardo Company of Italy, which can achieve autonomous detection, tracking of targets, and rapid engagement decision-making.
If the live-fire tests satisfy the U.S. Army, it plans to begin mass production of "Sergeant Stu" starting in fiscal year 2026, serving as the main air defense system for brigade combat teams and National Guard air defense units. At the same time, the United States will also promote "Sergeant Stu" to its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1845336290828300/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.