The U.S. Marine Corps has initiated full-rate production of its unique Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), a hunter-killer team of two modified light vehicles designed to shoot down drones, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft. Manufactured by Kongsberg, the system allows Marines to engage aerial threats from inside their vehicles, a major upgrade over previous portable systems.
The threat from unmanned aerial systems on the modern battlefield has demanded a mobile, rapid-response solution. The U.S. Marine Corps now has its answer rolling off the production line. As of September, the service has begun fielding the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), a ground-based air defense system that turns two Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) into a coordinated drone-killing team.
Unlike traditional systems that require Marines to dismount, the MADIS allows crews to detect, track, and destroy targets from within their armored vehicles, whether stationary or on the move. The system is built around a paired concept: one vehicle is optimized to counter manned aircraft like helicopters using Stinger missiles, while its partner focuses on drone swarms with a 30mm cannon. Together, they form a flexible, short-range protective bubble for Marine units.
READ ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/china-5g-remote-robotic-eye-surgery-4000km-away/
Manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, the production model follows a long period of testing and represents a significant leap over the legacy Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS). The old system was complex and required Marines to exit safety to engage, a dangerous and time-consuming process. The new MADIS integrates the entire kill chain into the vehicle, providing a “shoot-on-the-move” capability.
The system now in production features key technological upgrades, including enhanced targeting algorithms and sensor capabilities. Its design is inherently flexible, engineered to accept software and hardware updates to counter emerging threats over its service life. Marines have already begun training on the new systems, conducting live-fire exercises at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. Their first operational live-fire test occurred during Exercise Balikatan in April 2025.
The deployment of MADIS marks a critical step in the Marine Corps’ force modernization for contested environments. By providing organic, mobile air defense that can keep pace with maneuver units and decisively engage the proliferating drone threat, the MADIS vehicle team ensures Marines have the protection needed to operate across future battlefields.
WATCH ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/us-giant-robot-fights-wildfires/
