The US Deploys A New Anti-Drone System, The Report Said
The US Marine Corps has launched a new anti-drone system to strengthen air defense capabilities in the region as China’s military influence in the Pacific island chain grows, the Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday.
The Marine Corps said it is developing a new Maritime Integrated Air Defense System (MADIS) Mk 1 to deal with the “growing threat of drone systems,” the report said.
China has deployed missiles, submarines and anti-ship missiles and other weapons in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain, establishing a strong defense mechanism as part of China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against its opponents, the report said.
The area from Japan to the Philippines in the Pacific is turning into a dangerous “no man’s land” that could prevent US and allied forces from entering while giving Chinese troops greater freedom of action.
To counter Beijing’s A2/AD missiles deployed in the first island chain, the Marine Corps is forming a new coastal regiment that will implement an “island-hopping” strategy and use mobile anti-ship missiles to counter Chinese warships.
The MADIS system will be installed on two joint light tactical vehicles.
One of the vehicles will be equipped with a machine gun, a 30mm automatic cannon and an infrared-guided Stinger air defense missile launcher with a range of up to 8 kilometers, the report said.
The report also said that the other vehicle will carry a radar and a command group to detect targets and command attacks.
The MADIS system is an important part of the Marine Corps’ modernization strategy, supporting new equipment such as General Atomics’ MQ-9 drone, mobile surveillance radar and Naval Strike Missile anti-ship missile automatic launcher.
He said the Marine Corps reorganized in 2020 to promote modernization, including retiring conventional heavy weapons such as main battle tanks and forming three 2,000-person coastal regiments.
The report also said that although the reform initially faced local resistance, it eventually achieved results and became a model for the United States’ Pacific allies.
He said the 3rd Marine Coastal Defense Regiment’s air defense missile system fired missiles at drones during a training exercise in Hawaii on Jan. 25.
The Marines said in the report that the MADIS system greatly increases the tactical flexibility of the Coast Guard Corps, allowing them to detect and defend airspace without relying on other services.
Self-sufficiency is essential, he added, because the corps can be divided into battalions or companies and must operate independently on island positions even if surrounded by the enemy.
As a result, the Marine Corps’ strategy emphasizes the importance of controlling emissions or maintaining radio silence during coastal force deployments, the report said.
Ideally, he said, the Chinese Navy would be able to get into MADIS missile range without noticing the Marines’ deployment, but the coastal forces should still be able to operate independently from their isolated positions.
If Chinese drones come to monitor, they can’t expect the U.S. Navy or Air Force to venture into China’s anti-access/area denial zone to rescue them, the report said.
He added that the Advanced Missile Air Defense System, or MADIS, is considered a “last resort defense,” but as threats from Chinese forces in the Western Pacific grow, front-line Marines may have to use the system more than expected.
