On June 3, the U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin conducted a live‑fire test of the GRIZZLY vertical launcher at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Using an AGM‑179 Joint Air‑to‑Ground Missile, the system tracked and destroyed a Group 3‑type drone – the size class that includes Iran’s Shahed‑136 and the U.S. LUCAS derivative.
The GRIZZLY platform is built around a standard 10‑foot shipping container that houses an M229‑type missile launcher. When activated, the container’s top opens and multiple missiles can be launched in rapid succession. Lockheed Martin says the system was designed in six months, relies on off‑the‑shelf commercial components, and can be fielded on land or maritime platforms within days. The test integrated radar sensors and the Sanctum software suite, which identified the target and executed the kill chain either as a stand‑alone unit or via a broader command‑and‑control mesh.
The successful shot demonstrates a low‑cost, modular point‑defense option for protecting forward bases against the growing threat of inexpensive drones. The Army plans to complement the GRIZZLY with other counter‑drone measures such as loitering munitions, specialized rifle rounds and directed‑energy weapons.
