In July 2026, the U.S. Marine Corps inked a prototype contract worth $6.2 million with Allen Control Systems. The aim was to integrate the Bullfrog M240 autonomous weapon station into the L-MADIS anti-drone system. This system leverages AI-powered optical sensors and fire - control algorithms. It empowers a 7.62mm machine gun to autonomously detect, identify, and target drones, all without relying on radar signals. Meanwhile, human operators still hold the ultimate firing authority. The key advantage of this system is significant cost - reduction in interception. It slashes the cost from millions of dollars per missile to around $10. It employs a two - tier “soft kill + hard kill” defense system to counter the threats posed by drone swarms. Currently, the system has been deployed across multiple branches of the U.S. military. It has also been exported to countries such as South Korea and the UAE. However, ethical controversies have arisen. These stem from the fully autonomous modes and the potential threats they pose to ground targets, which have sparked widespread concerns.