The USMC Program Executive Officer Land Systems office successfully tested the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) in December, detecting, tracking, identifying and defeating several drones during a live-fire test at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
“MADIS can complete the entire kill chain, and we witness[ed] that during this event,” said Col Andrew Konicki, Program Manager for Ground Based Air Defense. “It is a linchpin for mission success and our ability to neutralize airborne threats…which in turn, increases our lethality”.
MADIS is a short-range, surface-to-air system that enables the manoeuvre force to deter and neutralise UAS and conventional aircraft and helicopters. Mounted on two Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, MADIS comprises multiple disparate systems, including radars, surface-to-air missiles and C2 elements. In layman’s terms, one vehicle detects, the other attacks. “The importance of countering UAS threats cannot be overstated,” said Konicki. “We see it all over the news. MADIS is the key”.
During the test, MADIS successfully tracked and hit multiple targets using Stinger missiles and 30mm cannon. Information passed through the Common Aviation Command and Control System to the ‘fighting pair’ of vehicles, executing the engagements while continuing to track other UAS targets. “We’ve taken multiple disparate commercial off-the-shelf and government off-the-shelf technologies and put them together,” said Konicki. “This is a capability the Marine Corps has never had, and it was a challenge for the acquisition community. This test event shows we met that challenge”.
PEO Land Systems has additional live-fire testing planned for new equipment training, system verification testing, and initial operational test and evaluation in FY24, prior to the start of fielding, said Maj Craig Warner, Product Manager for Future Weapons Systems. The 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion will be the first USMC unit to receive MADIS.
For more information: New air defense system advances Corps’ air dominance > Marine Corps Systems Command > News Article Display (marines.mil)
(Image: The Marine Corps requirement has kick-started initial low-rate production for MADIS, which features Kongsberg remote weapon stations. Credit: Kongsberg)
