US Army to massively expand air defense launcher fleet

The US Army is planning a major expansion of its ground-based air defense capabilities. The Pentagon's fiscal year 2027 budget request includes funding for 96 new IFPC Inc2 launcher units, which are analogous to the Norwegian NASAMS system. This procurement would bring the total ordered launchers to 185, with plans to purchase an additional 156 over the following three years, reaching a total fleet of 341 units by 2030. To arm these systems, the Army intends to purchase over a thousand AIM-9X missiles as an interim solution while developing a specialized interceptor missile for the complex. The program also includes deliveries of Sentinel A4 radars and a high-power microwave system.