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U.S. Marines on Guam test medium-range air-defense system during exercise
U.S. Marines on Guam intercepted an aerial target with the Medium-Range Intercept Capability system on June 30, 2026. The test took place during Exercise Valiant Shield at Camp Blaz. Defense News reported the firing as the first validation of the Corps' new medium-range air defense since the 1990s.
Jul 10, 11:19 AM·1m read1 source
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U.S. Marines on Guam fired the Medium-Range Intercept Capability system on June 30, 2026, and intercepted an aerial target. Defense News reported that III Marine Expeditionary Force personnel conducted the firing during Exercise Valiant Shield at Camp Blaz.
The MRIC is the Marine Corps' first medium-range air defense system since the HAWK was retired in the 1990s. The system incorporates technology from Israel's Iron Dome, which the service announced in 2023. Each trailer carries 20 interceptors that can engage targets from 2 to 43 miles away.
Maj. Emi Gutierrez, commander of the firing battery, said the MRIC fills a gap between short-range Stinger systems and longer-range options. "Before the MRIC, we were primarily a short-range air defense capability," Gutierrez stated.
Gutierrez added that the system's rapid deployment suits expeditionary operations. "Our ability to rapidly insert and fill critical gaps within an integrated air defense system is critical not only to the Marine Corps but also the joint force as a whole," he said. " Force Design 2030 plans call for three MRIC batteries to be fielded by 2028.
