Marine Corps selects new robotic weapon system for L-MADIS integration

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps has tapped defense technology company Allen Control Systems’ Bullfrog M240 autonomous weapon for the service’s Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS).

L-MADIS is part of the service’s Ground Based Air Defense program (GBAD). Similar to the larger Marine Air Defense Integrated System, which is mounted on two Joint Light Tactical Vehicles that work in tandem to detect and counter aerial threats, L-MADIS is comprised of two Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicles. One functions as the command unit and the other is outfitted with an electronic warfare suite to deter drone threats. 

The Bullfrog M240, which turns the legacy 7.62mm machine gun into an autonomous weapon, will be integrated onto the L-MADIS platform through a prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) contract, according to Allen Control Systems. 

The AI-powered robotic weapon station, which weighs roughly 300 pounds and is capable of firing 850 rounds-a-minute, can detect and neutralize small unmanned aerial systems, the firm said. 

“The Marine Corps requires the most sophisticated and accurate possible capabilities to carry out its critical missions,” Mike Wior, co-founder and CEO of Allen Control Systems, said in a statement to Breaking Defense. “We are honored to support Marines with fast, scalable, and cost-effective counter-drone solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing platforms.”

The contract’s initial value with the Marine Corps is roughly $6.2 million, according to the firm. The service is requesting approximately $1.27 billion in its fiscal 2027 budget request for GBAD capabilities, according to budget documents. 

The Corps isn’t the only service eying the Bullfrog, which includes variants that carry the M2 machine gun, M230 chain gun and M134 mini gun. For example, the US Army Applications Lab awarded Allen Control Systems a contract in December to assess deploying Bullfrog on five of the Army’s combat vehicles. The company also secured a contract to integrate Bullfrog onto US Special Operations Forces maritime platforms in September.