Three new air defense systems – the Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC), Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), and Light MADIS – are set to undergo testing before being handed to the Marines in 2025.
According to Col. Andrew Konicki, program manager for Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD), the Marines are on track for the deployment of these systems when it comes to cost and schedule performance.
“That’s not anything that we’re doing from a program office standpoint, that’s essentially derived from the threat. The threat is ever changing and ever evolving,” Konicki said last week at the Modern Day Marino expo, Breaking Defense reported.
Bolstering defense capabilities with MRIC integration
The MRIC is expected to be integrated into the Marine Corps arsenal to enhance defense against advanced threats such as cruise missiles and larger drones.
This mobile system is based on Israel’s Iron Dome, utilizing a truck-mounted launcher with Tamir interceptors. It incorporates the Common Aviation Command-and-Control System (CAC2S), a mini battle management control (BMC) system, and the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR).
Previous tests have seen the MRIC prototype surrounded by numerous in-air targets, each with its own unique flight trajectory and velocity. During firing, the MRIC successfully hit every target using the Tamir missile.
“The Marine Corps and the Defense Department, as a whole, have been living with the comfort of air superiority and air supremacy,” said Maj James Slocum, MRIC Medium Range Intercept Capability team lead at PEO Land Systems, back in July 2022, during a test of the prototype. “As long-range cruise missiles and anti-air weapons systems begin to get better and better, air supremacy is not something we can take for granted. We must be able to counter these types of capabilities.”
This system is also essential to Force Design 2030, filling a critical capability gap for the Marine Corps. Konicki outlined the plan to conduct a quick reaction assessment with MRIC in September, followed by training Marines on its usage and deployment. Additionally, the service is set to buy 80 Tamir interceptors from Israel in 2024, as per a knowledgeable source on the program.
Integrating vehicle-based defense weapons
The Marines are considering adding two vehicle-based defense weapons to their arsenal: MADIS and LMADIS. Both are scheduled for operational testing, and if successful, will be deployed to the Indo-Pacific region next year.
MADIS comprises two Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Heavy Guns Carriers intended to operate in tandem. The initial vehicle features a 360-degree radar, command and control suite, remote weapons station, electro-optical/infrared optic, and electronic warfare system. The second vehicle accommodates Kongsberg’s RS6 remote weapon station, stinger missiles, a 30mm XM914 gun, electronic warfare capability, and additional features.
The LMADIS employs electronic weapons on a lightweight and compact platform, the Polaris MRZR, enabling it to be deployed to remote and challenging environments via air transport.
Amidst the current drone threat, there’s an urgent demand for an expeditionary system capable of effectively countering it. The Marines assert that the LMADIS meets this need by providing a solution that can be rapidly deployed and attached to units in need of counter-UAS capabilities.
