Production starts on US Marine Corps C-UAS programme
Kongsberg RS6 RWS for MADIS RWSs mounted on the JLTVs. (Photo: Kongsberg)
Kongsberg confirmed on 23 May that production of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Remote Weapon Station (RWS) has moved from its facilities in Norway to Kongsberg Protech Systems USA in Pennsylvania, with assembly and testing of the inaugural system having been completed at Johnstown in March.
Apart from this US-made solution, a total of five prototype and test assets were produced for the USMC in Norway.
The Kongsberg RS6 RWS for MADIS RWS includes the XM914E1 30mmx113mm percussion-primed cannon with a co-axial M240C (7.62mm) machine gun, an integration kit for the Stinger Air-To-Air Launcher (ATAL) and provisions for future C-UAS defeat systems.
The USMC awarded Kongsberg an IDIQ Other Transaction Authority production contract in September 2021. It has a ceiling of $94 million and includes a series of LRIP systems, full-rate production units, spares and training.
MADIS is part of the USMC’s plan to upgrade their two active Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) battalions.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
US Army orders more upgraded Bradleys as transformation threatens other programmes
Compared to previous versions of the vehicle, the Bradley M2A4 upgrade includes an uprated suspension, a more powerful engine, an independent commander’s sight, a more capable electronic architecture and improved networking capabilities.
-
De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems
How strategic manufacturing partnership solves the industrialisation triad — Scale, Compliance and Cost — for hyper-growth defence tech innovators.
-
Battlefield mobility, made in the UK
How does Britain ensure that we can preserve the lives of our soldiers and allies – now and in the future – with homegrown innovation and resilient domestic manufacturing? At Pearson Engineering, we are proud to be a central part of the answer to this increasingly important question.
-
Hanwha awarded $482 million in major step for South Korea’s missile defence programme
The deal to produce and supply launchers and missiles to South Korea follows a contract placed with Hanwha Systems last month for the manufacture of multi-function radars.
-
China goes for ground-launched attack weapons as it strengthens deterrence strategy
China has been advancing its capabilities with a new generation of precision-guided artillery and loitering munitions, positioning ALIT’s WS-series as direct competitors with Western systems like the US’s M982 Excalibur.