US Debuts First Full-Rate MADIS Air Defense
The US Marine Corps has revealed the first full‑rate production version of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), advancing its short‑range air defense against drones and low‑altitude threats.
MADIS integrates upgraded sensors, improved targeting algorithms, and greater mobility into a pair of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle‑mounted units that form a maneuverable Ground Based Air Defense system.
Designed to defeat unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and manned aircraft on the move or stationary, the modular system can be rapidly deployed with maneuver units and adapted as threats and technologies evolve.
It was unveiled after intensive new equipment training and live‑fire exercises at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Training culminated in live‑fire events where marines engaged simulated aerial targets, validating the system’s performance and demonstrating its tactical potential.
MADIS Timeline
MADIS has steadily matured over recent years through a series of development and test events.
Live‑fire exercises with early production models took place as far back as December 2023, when marines fired Stinger missiles and 30mm cannon rounds at unmanned aerial targets at Yuma Proving Ground during low‑rate initial production testing.
In January 2025, US Marines conducted counter‑UAS live‑fire training at Hawaii’s Pohakuloa Training Area to further refine crew proficiency and system performance after months of operational testing and evaluation.
Later that year, MADIS was employed outside the continental US during military exercises in the Philippines, marking its first overseas live‑fire employment alongside allied forces to test integrated air and missile defense tactics.
