Marines eye 2025: deployment of 3 new, mobile air defense systems

A live-fire test of an initial MRIC prototype in December 2021. (US Marine Corps)

MODERN NAVY 2024 – The U.S. Marine Corps plans to deploy a trio of mobile ground-based air defense systems in the coming year, including a modified Iron Dome launch vehicle – and at least two will be headed to the Indo-Pacific region.

In recent years, USMC leaders have focused on littoral operations and creating a smaller, agile force. Some of that work has focused on investing in a host of defensive weapons to protect Marines and bases from incoming air threats such as missiles, drones and cruise missiles.

“Programmatically, we are on schedule (costs, schedule performance), but we are always late to the need. … That’s not something we do from a program office standpoint, that’s essentially derived from the threat. The threat is constantly changing and evolving.” Col. Andrew Konicki, the program manager for Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD), told an audience at the Modern Day Marine expo on Wednesday.

“It’s a challenge to keep up that,” he later added.

However, on that attempt three new air defense systems – the Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC), Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) and Light MADIS – will operational testing before being transferred to the Marines in 2025.

Mobility of Iron Dome

If all goes according to plan, the MRIC will make its way into the service’s arsenal in calendar year 2025 to help Marines defend against higher-level threats such as cruise missiles and higher-class drones.

The mobile system revolves around the famous Israelis Iron dome and uses a truck-mounted Iron Dome launcher with Tamir interceptors, combined with a Common Aviation Command-and-Control System (CAC2S) and a mini battle management control (BMC) system, along with the AN/TPS -80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR).

Konicki said the plan is to have a rapid response assessment with MRIC in September, training Marines on how to use the new system and how to get it into the field. As for the Tamir interceptors, the agency will buy 80 from Israel in fiscal 2024, according to a source familiar with the program. Then the service will receive approximately 240 additional interceptors in FY25, likely a mix from Israel and some from the new production line being set up in Camden. Ark., Through RTX and Rafael.

However, the ultimate goal is for the USMC to receive an American Tamir variant. The weapon, called the SkyHunter missile, will have approx 90 to 95 percent similarity to the original weapon, Konicki said. While declining to detail any anomalies in a public forum, the source familiar with the program noted that the US variant will have a secret datalink designed to better protect it from jamming and spoofing.

Fighting couples

Marines are also looking at adding two vehicle-based defensive weapons to their portfolio: MADIS and LMADIS. Both will undergo operational testing and, if deemed successful, cCapt. Taylor Barefoot, outer UAS capacity integration officer, said both will deploy to the Indo-Pacific region next year.

MADIS consists of two Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Heavy Guns Carriers designed to fight as a pair. The first vehicle includes a 360-degree radar, a command and control suite, a remote weapons station, an electro-optical/infrared optics and an electronic warfare system. The second vehicle houses Kongsberg’s RS6 remote weapons station, stinger missiles, a 30mm XM914 cannon, electronic warfare and more.

For LMADIS, the service initially designed the options around the Polaris MRZR, but opted to put it on the Marines’ new Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle (ULTV) for the record-setting program. Also designed to fight in pairs, one vehicle provides the ability to send and receive data to and from remote air and ground platforms, while the second vehicle provides target detection, tracking and a non-kinetic C-UAS capability, according to the request budget for FY25 documents.

Michael Marrow of Breaking Defense contributed to this report.