ISTEC to provide SDS for British Army’s MLRS A2

Above: ISTEC ISL 66SD/4 Smoke Discharger System shown on new MLRS A2.
Courtesy ISTEC

At DVD, in September 2024, ISTEC announced the delivery of 65 GPMG gun mounts for MLRS A2 and the combined contract value supplied via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) catalogue exceeds £1.5 million.  

ISTEC has a long history of delivering weapon integration solutions for crew-served weapons such as HMG and MMG across Land, Sea and Air domains and has an extensive operational pedigree having supplied gun mounts for key operational vehicles such as WMIK, Mastiff, Viking and Jackal used for Land operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, ISTEC has also been providing bespoke platform SDS since 2018 and their systems have been fitted to specialist light strike vehicles so also have an extensive operationally proven pedigree.

An effective SDS is essential to enhance the MLRS A2’s survivability by providing rapid and effective smoke screens to obscure the vehicle from enemy observation and targeting. The smoke can be deployed quickly from under protection to create visual and infrared concealment, disrupting the enemy’s line-of-sight and guidance systems. This protection capability is crucial during manoeuvres in contact, allowing the vehicle to re-position while reducing the risk of being hit.

The new MLRS A2 will be fitted with the ISL 66SD/4 which is a four-barrel vehicle-mounted SDS capable of firing all natures of UK in-service 66mm munitions. However, ISTEC SDS can come in multiple configurations as required by the platform including two, three and four barrel setups.  

The ISL 66SD range has been designed to ensure both the base plate and canister connectors are compatible with the UK in-service 66mm No12 Mk8 smoke discharger (dual pole) to minimise the logistic burden. The system is supplied with the ISTEC Fire Control Unit which has four firing buttons, an arming safety cover and NVD compatible colour-coded LED indicators to show the status of each pod.

Adrian Webster, Operations Manager at ISTEC said: “We are extremely pleased to have won this important contract to help equip the UK’s new MLRS A2 platform with the best possible defensive suite of smoke dischargers. Our extensive experience in adapting solutions to meet vehicle geometry and architecture requirements, coupled with our long-standing history with both NSPA and the MLRS platform, makes this an exciting opportunity.

“This project, combined with the weapons mount systems, further enhances the UK’s defence capabilities with cutting-edge technology, supporting national security and the operational effectiveness of the MLRS A2.”