Marines Deploy Iron Dome Air Defense Systems to the Western Pacific

Forward-deployed Marines in Japan recently received advanced air defense systems to counter cruise missile and drone threats that the service may face during a potential conflict with China in the Western Pacific. “The [Medium-Range Intercept Capability] system provides a decisive competitive advantage in mobile air defense, providing rapid coverage wherever it’s needed,” read a news release published Tuesday on the fielding of the system with the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). The announcement comes as Marines from the only forward-deployed MEF aboard practiced MRIC’s deployment during Valiant Shield, a multilateral exercise bringing together maritime strike and new defensive capabilities from