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 from the **3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion’s Ground-Based Air Defense Battery** will conduct live-fire training with the **Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS)**, a short-range, surface-to-air system that specializes in the detection and destruction of unmanned aircraft systems. This training will take place during the annual joint drills currently underway in the Philippines.
The 2025 exercise will mark **MADIS’s** second live-fire training, following earlier training in January at the **Pohakuloa Training Area** on the Big Island of Hawaii. This will also be the first time the system has been deployed outside the United States with a U.S. Marine Corps unit.
Colonel **John G. Lehane**, commanding officer of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, stated, “The **MADIS** is a unique weapon system that enhances both the survivability and lethality of our forces.” He emphasized that this system extends the airspace control and provides tactical flexibility for friendly elements in the area of operations.
During the event, U.S. Marines will perform a demonstration of **MADIS** alongside Philippine Marines and soldiers, who will also deploy their own counter-drone systems. The **MADIS**, mounted on a tactical vehicle, is equipped with radar and weaponry that can identify aerial threats and neutralize them using jammers, Stinger missiles, and a 30mm cannon.
The **Marine Corps** plans for **MADIS** to replace the previous aerial defense system known as **MANPADs**, which included a fire unit vehicle, section leader vehicle, and a shoulder-fired Stinger missile as its primary weapon system. The Marine Corps has requested **$130 million** for **13 MADIS Increment 1 systems** in its fiscal 2024 budget, with the goal of fielding **190 MADIS systems** by 2035 to its Low-Altitude Air Defense Battalions and Marine Littoral Regiments.
This year’s **Balikatan**, which runs through **May 9** on the Philippine islands of **Luzon** and **Palawan**, commemorates 40 years of joint military drills designed to fortify Indo-Pacific defense. U.S. and Philippine troops will engage in coordinated operations across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains during the exercise.
The participating units include the **I Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element**, **1st Marine Division**, **3rd Marine Aircraft Wing**, **1st Marine Logistics Group**, and the **3rd Marine Littoral Regiment**. Lieutenant Colonel **Matthew E. Sladek**, commanding officer of the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, remarked that the **MADIS** continues to exceed expectations, highlighting the importance of integrating it with the Philippine Marine Corps in training to enhance collective effectiveness.
