The U.S. Marine Corps is working on two air defense systems, the Medium-Range Intercept Capability and Marine Air Defense Integrated System, in response to emerging threats in Europe and the Middle East. The Medium-Range Intercept Capability involves integrated air and missile defense and is scheduled for operational assessment in September. The Corps plans to hand over the first system to 1st Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion in Hawaii in June 2025. Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, was tested in December and will provide additional layers of defense once fielded.
The Medium-Range Intercept Capability system uses existing systems, and it is expected to go from concept to fielding in about five years. A new production facility in Arkansas is set to open in 2025, producing a new missile called SkyHunter which will be used within the MRIC system. MADIS is mounted atop a pair of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and provides protection to forces on the forward edge.
The new anti-missile systems are important elements of the Marine Corps’ Force Design modernization effort. The service plans to station small units throughout the Pacific region to deter China and has been the subject of much controversy. However, according to Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Europe justify the Force Design. He noted that the threats the Marines were preparing for in the Pacific are now being used in other theaters.
