The increasing necessity of SHORAD
Increasingly, militaries are pursuing short-range air defence (SHORAD) solutions to prepare for an era of near-ubiquitous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munitions, as well as dealing with the continued proliferation of cruise missiles, and rapidly evolving battlefield dynamics.
With concerns over the development of hypersonic weaponry and the introduction of more types of stealth aircraft from new players, it is easier to overlook short-range air defence (SHORAD). As the war in Ukraine illustrates, the ability to counter low-altitude threats – unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions, low-flying aircraft and rotorcraft, and cruise missiles – has arguably become more critical than ever before. SHORAD fills in the gap between longer-range and more costly surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, dealing primarily with the immediate threats that can slip through their defensive coverage. This article explores why SHORAD matters, its evolving role on the battlefield, and the solutions reshaping its future – from truck-mounted cannons to experimental lasers and UAV solutions.