USMC hunting for new interceptors for JLTV-based air-defence weapon

The US Marine Corps (USMC) wants to increase the lethality of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)-based air-defence system and is asking industry to propose potential interceptor options.

Over the course of several months, the service has publicly released information about pending plans to upgrade its Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) programme with the goal of having a more capable system ready for fielding in fiscal year 2025.

Under the initial programme, the service used the JLTV as the base to build two MADIS configurations, Mk1 and Mk2, and outfitted both with Kongsberg Defence's Protector XM914 remote weapon station. The Mk1 vehicle is geared towards countering fixed- and rotary-wing threats, and hosts several capabilities including turret-launched Stinger missiles, multifunctional electronic warfare capability, 30 mm and M240 direct fire weapons, electro-optical/infrared sensors, and a shoulder-fired Stinger missile for dismounted operations. The Mk2, meanwhile, is designed for counter-unmanned aircraft systems and includes many of the same technologies as the Mk1 variant, however, it does not launch Stinger missiles, according to USMC documents.

Looking ahead, the service plans to keep the JLTV as the host platform for the MADIS Block 2 upgrade, and continue to use the system's existing command-and-control capabilites, remote weapon station, and radar subsystems, according to a December 2021 solicitation. However, the USMC is seeking new interceptor options to down smaller drones and is asking industry for a host of information about their potential solutions to include the weapons ability to ‘autonomously' engage multiple targets – a series of consecutive targets within a sortie – and ‘autonomously' land for recovery.

“The solution must be able to be transportable on, or by, the MADIS … JLTV,” the service wrote in response to questions. “On-the-move capability is desired but not required.”