In December, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Program Executive Officer Land Systems conducted a successful live-fire test of the low-rate initial production model of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The test involved engaging and successfully neutralizing multiple launched drones, simulating real battlefield scenarios. During the live-fire exercise, MADIS demonstrated its capabilities in detecting, tracking, identifying, and defeating unmanned aerial threats.

“MADIS can complete the entire kill chain, and we witness 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, a short-range, surface-to-air system, empowers Low Altitude Air Defense Battalions to prevent and counter unmanned aircraft systems and fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. MADIS functions as a complementary pair, installed on two Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, incorporating various systems such as radar, surface-to-air missiles, and command and control elements. In simpler terms, one component detects while the other component engages.

Given the persistent threat posed by drones, particularly with the widespread availability of commercial off-the-shelf products, MADIS employs real-time communication and coordination to effectively eliminate or neutralize low-altitude aerial threats in support of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.

Konicki emphasized the crucial need to counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) threats, underscoring MADIS as the key solution. The successful test demonstrated MADIS’s capability to track and eliminate multiple targets using Stinger missiles and a 30mm cannon. Information was seamlessly transmitted through the Common Aviation Command and Control System to the vehicle pair, enabling effective engagement while maintaining tracking of additional UAS targets. Konicki highlighted the innovative integration of various commercial and government off-the-shelf technologies, marking a new capability for the Marine Corps and a successful response to acquisition challenges.

Maj. Craig Warner, the Product Manager for Future Weapons Systems, stated that the program office has scheduled further live-fire testing for new equipment training, system verification testing, and initial operational test and evaluation in FY24 before fielding. The 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion is slated to be the initial Marine Corps battalion to be equipped with MADIS. (Full Press Release)

See Also-

Counter-UAS for the Navy and Marines- Executive Summary

Countering UAS: A Conversation with Major General Sean Gainey

Post Image- U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Systems Command, fire a Stinger Missile from a Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, December 13, 2023. The MADIS Mk1 and Mk2, pictured, form a complementary pair and will be the basic building block of the Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Battalions’ ground-based air defense capability. (Image Credit: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Virginia Guffey)