Systems to counter missiles and drones take centre stage at US defence expo

As missiles and drones take a bigger role in modern warfare, major defence contractors gathered in Washington this week to showcase their latest advances in the technologies – and systems to counter them.

The three-day Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which opened on Monday, is one of the largest ground-based weapons shows in the US.

This year there was a strong emphasis on air and missile defence systems, reflecting growing concern about how to counter aerial threats as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East rage on, and following reports that the US military’s missile stockpiles have been badly depleted by its war on Iran.

Lockheed Martin, one of the world’s largest defence contractors, had its latest advanced missile systems on show – the Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), launched from its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), a light multiple rocket launcher.