Col. Glenn Dean, program manager for the U.S. Army’s Stryker combat vehicle, has said the service intends to integrate new vehicle protection technologies to its combat fleet by 2020, Defense News reported Thursday.
Dean said in an Aug. 24 interview that selected and new tech, such as laser warning, will be fielded on the Bradley, Stryker and Abrams fleets, as well as on the future Mobile Protected Fire Power car and Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle.
He noted that the Army is set to assess other technologies that can counter tank-fired, long-rod kinetic energy penetrators.
The service will additionally launch a series of vehicle protection systems programs, the first of which will look into mechanisms that can address visual, infrared, radar, sound and electromagnetic signatures from combat vehicles.
“Frankly, we could deploy [the signature management capability program] next year if we were funded right now. [It is] not in the 2019 budget, so we are looking for opportunities,†Dean said.
The Army official added that the vehicle protection system efforts will be implemented before the Modular Active Protection System architecture is prepared for delivery.