Marines deploy drone-killing MADIS system for Balikatan drills

U.S. Marines will test one of the service’s newest counter-drone defense systems during this year’s Balikatan military exercise in collaboration with the Philippine military, according to the Marine Corps.

Marines with the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion’s Ground-Based Air Defense Battery will conduct live-fire training with the ground-based Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS , a short-range, surface-to-air system that specializes in the detection and destruction of unmanned aircraft systems, at the annual joint drills currently underway in the Philippines.

The exercise will mark MADIS’ second live-fire training, following training in January at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii, and the first time the system has been deployed outside the United States with a U.S. Marine Corps unit.

“The MADIS is a unique weapon system that enhances both the survivability and lethality of [the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment] by extending the reach of the airspace over which the formation has control, and by giving tactical flexibility to the friendly elements operating within our area of operations,” said Col. John G. Lehane, commanding officer of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, in a release .

During an integrated air and missile defense event, U.S. Marines will perform a demonstration of the MADIS alongside Philippine Marines and soldiers, who will also utilize their own counter-drone systems.

With MADIS, Marines don’t have to exit their vehicle to manually target and take out an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The system, mounted to a tactical vehicle, comes equipped with radar and weapons capable of identifying aerial threats and neutralizing them out of the sky with jammers, Stinger missiles and a 30mm cannon.

MADIS will replace a previous aerial defense system called the Man-Portable Air Defense System, or MANPADs, which includes a fire unit vehicle, section leader vehicle and a Stinger shoulder-fired missile as its primary weapon system, according to the Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps — which requested $130 million for 13 MADIS Increment 1 systems in its fiscal 2024 budget request — will seek to field 190 MADIS systems through 2035 to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Low-Altitude Air Defense Battalions and the 3rd, 4th and 12th Marine Littoral Regiments.

This year’s Balikatan, running through May 9 on the Philippine islands of Luzon and Palawan, marks 40 years of joint drills aimed at fortifying the Indo-Pacific. U.S. and Philippine troops will conduct coordinated military operations across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains for the exercise.

The I Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element, 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing will participate in the event.

“The MADIS continues to exceed expectations, and the more repetitions we get to integrate it with the [Philippine Marine Corps] in training, the more it will enhance our collective lethality,” said Lt. Col. Matthew E. Sladek, commanding officer of the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion.

Riley Ceder is a Navy reporter at Military Times, where he covers issues directly affecting service members and their families, as well as breaking news.

据美国海军陆战队称，今年在与菲律宾军方合作举行的“肩并肩”联合军事演习中，美国海军陆战队将测试该军种最新的反无人机防御系统之一。

在菲律宾举行的年度联合演习中，美国海军陆战队第3近海防空营地面防空炮兵连将使用地面海军陆战队防空综合系统（MADIS）进行实弹射击训练。MADIS是一种短程地对空系统，专门用于探测和摧毁无人机系统。

此次演习将是 MADIS 的第二次实弹射击训练，此前该系统于 1 月份在夏威夷大岛的波哈库洛阿训练区进行了训练，这也是该系统首次部署到美国境外，与美国海军陆战队部队一起服役。

“MADIS 是一种独特的武器系统，它通过扩大部队控制的空域范围，增强了[第3海军陆战队近海团]的生存能力和杀伤力，并为在我们作战区域内作战的友军部队提供了战术灵活性，”第3海军陆战队近海团指挥官约翰·G·莱恩上校在一份声明中说。

在一次综合防空和导弹防御演习中，美国海军陆战队将与菲律宾海军陆战队和士兵一起进行MADIS演示，菲律宾方面也将使用他们自己的反无人机系统。

有了MADIS系统，海军陆战队员无需下车即可手动瞄准并击落无人机。

该系统安装在战术车辆上，配备有雷达和武器，能够识别空中威胁，并使用干扰器、毒刺导弹和 30 毫米机炮将其从空中摧毁。

据美国海军陆战队称，MADIS 将取代之前名为“便携式防空系统”（MANPADS）的空中防御系统。MANPADS 包括一辆火力单元车、一辆班长车和一枚“毒刺”肩扛式导弹，作为其主要武器系统。

海军陆战队在其 2024 财年预算申请中申请了 1.3 亿美元用于 13 套 MADIS Increment 1 系统，并将在 2035 年前向第 1、2 和 3 低空防空营以及第 3、4 和 12 海军陆战队近海团部署 190 套 MADIS 系统。

今年的“肩并肩”联合军演于5月9日在菲律宾吕宋岛和巴拉望岛举行，标志着旨在加强印太地区的联合演习已举办40年。美菲军队将在演习期间在陆地、海洋、空中、太空和网络空间开展协调一致的军事行动。

第一海军陆战队远征军指挥部、第一海军陆战师、第三海军陆战队航空联队、第一海军陆战队后勤大队、第三海军陆战队近岸团和第一海军陆战队航空联队将参加此次活动。

“MADIS 系统不断超出预期，我们在训练中将其与 [菲律宾海军陆战队] 进行整合的重复次数越多，就越能增强我们的集体杀伤力，”第 3 近岸防空营指挥官马修·E·斯拉德克中校说道。

Riley Ceder 是《军事时报》的海军记者，他负责报道直接影响军人及其家属的问题以及突发新闻。