Moog’s MR SLED: Responding to Army Counter-UAS Requirements to protect infantry troops

Current and Emerging Threats

Maneuvering ground infantry troops are facing increasingly complex air threats as adversaries continue to adapt and evolve tactics and methods of engagement. Technologies such as AI-enhanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have proliferated at unprecedented rates due to their low-cost production capacity and rapid technological advancements. To address these threats, the U.S. Army needs a lightweight, defensive countermeasure that is mobile enough to accompany troops on any mission while also having the capability to eliminate these threats as they engage with troops. Ideally, this solution should be highly scalable, enabling the Army to deploy it worldwide while incorporating common components familiar to soldiers. With operational versatility and modularity in mind, engineers at Moog have developed the Lightweight Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (LW RIwP®)-based Moog Reconfigurable Self-Loading Equipment Dock (MR SLED).

The LW RIwP® uses aluminum construction to cut almost 2,000 pounds compared to the standard RIwP®. That weight savings allows for the unit to travel with different types of infantry squad vehicles (ISV). The decrease in gross weight translates into greater agility for highly mobile units navigating expeditionary environments and confronting today’s rapidly evolving aerial threats.

What sets MR SLED apart is its ability to build on the LW RIwP® with a platform and payload-agnostic mission equipment package. This gives commanders the flexibility to tailor capability packages to specific operational needs while maintaining common hardware and software baselines. MR SLED is a solution for both current and future challenges our warfighters could face. With its significant decrease in weight, MR SLED has the capacity to be loaded onto Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV)-Heavy and ISV-Utility mobile units, while also being used as in a dismounted ground application, depending on mission requirements.

“One of our main focuses with the MR SLED and Lightweight RIwP® was to make it more versatile for troops. The major decrease in gross weight and modular design provides the army with this solution,” said Tony Peck, Moog General Manager for Weapon Systems. “Having a versatile threat solution will make training on these new systems universal for any soldier to operate, saving the army time and money on training troops on a proven solution to keep our nation’s protectors safe.” This product will eliminate the need for utilizing multiple systems tailored to different missions, terrain, or threat levels. If the ISV has the capability to navigate the environment, MR SLED has the capability to support it.

With MR SLED’s versatile design, a range of sensors and effectors including active or passive radar, direct-fire weapons, missiles and rockets, and electronic warfare systems, can be integrated to deliver tailored surveillance and defense capabilities. Ultimately, MR SLED is a weapons platform that performs the entire kill chain. It is able to find the drone in the air by utilizing an integrated radar system, communicating that information to the troops, and neutralizing the threat.

MR SLED is a modular solution designed to support emerging Army air defense and counter-UAS requirements, including the flexibility needed for the Army’s next-generation short-rang air defense capability, M-SHORAD Increment 4. It has the capability to carry a greater number of sensors and effectors as a mobile unit and grants unit commanders with the ability to tailor the capability packages to specific threats and operational needs- including adversarial drones, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft. The Lightweight RIwP® is an updated design of the standard RIwP® with the intent of being able to function on the back of ISV trucks using MR SLED as a base.

“MR SLED is one weapon system the warfighter can reconfigure and tailor effectors and sensors needed for ever changing mission,” said Doug White, Moog Turreted Weapons Systems Business Development Manager. “Additionally, MR SLED allows for future growth in firepower and sensor capacity based on its modular design and correspondent to the mounted or dismounted payload capacity.”

The modular design provides the Army with a scalable product that can be universally used on a variety of air defense systems while maintaining common hardware and software baseline. The commonality across systems will reduce training requirements for soldiers, while also providing simplified logistics, lower sustainment costs, and faster fielding of new capabilities.

Moog’s MR SLED was nominated for the Best New Product/Service Award by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and was recognized at their 2026 AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C. Being a nominee showcases Moog’s meaningful advancements in support of Army modernization, mission readiness, and defense capabilities. Moog previously won AUSA’s Best New Product award in 2024 and Best in Show in 2022.