Dynetics Inc., headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $40,776,966 hybrid Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) modification by Marine Corps Systems Command to manufacture, deliver, and support 14 Medium Range Air Defense Radar (MRADR) production representative model systems. The contract modification (M67854-25-9-0122), executed as a follow-on agreement under 10 U.S. Code 4022 authority, encompasses depot-level technical manual support, program management, engineering change proposals, logistics and software support, alongside the retrofitting of four MRADR prototype systems and four Marine Expeditionary Long Range Persistent Sensor (MELPS) systems. Work on the contract will be executed across facilities in Huntsville, Alabama (87.5%), and Woodlake, California (12.5%), with total completion anticipated by August 2028. Funding drawn from Fiscal 2025 and 2026 Marine Corps Procurement as well as Fiscal 2026 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) accounts amounting to $35.77 million was obligated at the time of award.
The MRADR program addresses a critical operational gap in the US Marine Corps’ ground-based air defense posture, which has lacked a dedicated medium-range capability since retiring its previous platform in the late 1990s. Designed to provide expeditionary forces with a mobile, persistent air picture, the MRADR utilizes digitized antennas, advanced receivers, and sophisticated digital signal processing to achieve comprehensive 360-degree target detection, tracking, and identification. A cornerstone of the design philosophy inherited from precursor developments like the MELPS is its minimal electromagnetic footprint, which significantly enhances survivability by suppressing detectable emissions to counter adversary electronic warfare and anti-radiation targeting capabilities.
As part of the Corps’ broader air defense modernization initiative, the MRADR is engineered for direct integration with existing command-and-control networks and sensor architectures. The platform is intended to operate synergistically with the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR)—an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) multi-mission system—to form a resilient, layered air surveillance network. By functioning over a secure wireless network with associated missile launchers and command nodes, the radar expands the sensory reach necessary to counter complex air threats, including fixed-wing crewed aircraft, rotary platforms, cruise missiles, artillery rockets, and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Furthermore, the system will interface directly with kinetic defeat mechanisms such as the Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC), an expeditionary air defense system that leverages combat-proven components from Israel’s Iron Dome technology. To ensure seamless mobility alongside maneuvering Marine units, ongoing engineering developments aim to integrate the MRADR with transporter erector launchers mounted on Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV-MRAD) chassis. This air-defense integration provides expeditionary forces and forward fixed bases with an agile, highly survivable shield against the growing volume and diversity of low-altitude and stand-off aerial threats.
