Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, VA -- Last month, the Marine Corps’ Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) program office completed digital integration testing, marking a significant milestone in the system’s development. With the support of Marines from 1st Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Battalion, this two-week event was an end-to-end system test ensuring different components of MRIC work together seamlessly to complete the kill chain.
MRIC is a state-of-the-art defense technology that can detect, track, identify, and defeat enemy cruise missiles and other aerial threats. With the Corps' Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and Common Aviation Command and Control System as its primary subsystems, and incorporating technology from the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Iron Dome system, MRIC provides a competitive advantage in mobility for inside the weapons engagement zone.
"The purpose of this event was to ensure all system patches were installed, and to connect the subsystems together and run the entire system through a simulated kill-chain with actual targets, radars, [command and control] and the Iron Dome components," said Jason Gregory.
The first week focused on preparatory activities such as equipment setup, system updates, and a thorough review of technical publications. In contrast, the second week involved execution scenarios that tested the MRIC's ability to detect and engage targets. The scenarios included unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the G/ATOR. Live missiles were not used during the test events; instead, the system's effectiveness in identifying and tracking targets was evaluated through simulated engagements.
This is the last testing event before quick reaction assessment (QRA), a scaled-down operational test scheduled for September 2024. Mike Klapp, lead engineer for Cruise Missile Defense, explained the QRA is the "graduation" event for MRIC to move out of the middle-tier acquisition phase. If all goes well, the system will move into production in FY2025.
"The successful completion of this event is a significant milestone in the development of the MRIC prototype. The participation and expertise of the 1st LAAD Battalion were crucial in achieving these positive results," said Lt. Col. Matthew Beck, product manager for Advanced Man-Portable Air Defense System/MRIC.