The AI-powered robotic weapon station weighs roughly 300 pounds and is capable of firing 850 rounds a minute. (Allen Control Systems)
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.
