US Marine Corps Pairs ACS Bullfrog Anti-Drone System With L-MADIS
The US Marine Corps has selected the Bullfrog M240 autonomous weapon system to counter drone threats under the service’s Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) program.
Made by Allen Control Systems (ACS), the artificial intelligence-enabled Bullfrog system will be integrated into the Marines’ Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS) through a prototype Other Transaction Agreement.
It is part of a deal with an initial value of around $6.2 million, Breaking Defense reported, citing ACS.
“We are honored to support Marines with fast, scalable, and cost-effective counter-drone solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing platforms,” said Mike Wior, ACS Co-founder and CEO.
Bullfrog Against Drones
The Bullfrog M240 variant features an open architecture that enables compatibility with common command-and-control systems, including Anduril’s Lattice.
Weighing around 300 pounds (136 kilograms), Bullfrog is capable of firing 850 rounds per minute against Group 1 to 3 drone threats with a maximum effective range of 800 meters (2,625 feet).
The robotic platform is deployed with the US Army and US Navy, and has received contracts through Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the Pentagon’s dedicated unit tasked with acquiring and fielding counter-drone solutions.
South Korea and the United Arab Emirates also ordered the Bullfrog weapon system for their armed forces.
Apart from ground-based platforms, the Bullfrog is compatible with deployment at sea.
This year, ACS is set to expand its Austin facility and has raised $200 million in fresh funding to support the production of its counter-drone technology amid growing demand.
