INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded Vertex Modernization and Sustainment LLC, a subsidiary of V2X, a $19.06 million contract for 10 Tempest mobile counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) vehicles.
The $19,062,156 award covers the vehicles along with software management, spare parts, ancillary equipment, training and related services. According to the contract information provided, work will primarily be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, with completion scheduled for August 10, 2027.
The contract is identified as a hybrid firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award. It was issued on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1). No funds were obligated at the time of award, with funding to be provided through individual task orders.
The contracting activity is the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Marine Corps, Program Manager Ground Based Air Defense, based in Quantico, Virginia. The contract number is M67854-26-D-0080.
Tempest Mobile Counter-UAS Vehicle
V2X first publicly introduced Tempest at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting in October 2025. The company describes it as a rugged, commercially based combat vehicle designed for rapid, limited-exposure missions.
V2X says the platform uses dual weapon launchers and a counter-UAS capability intended to detect, engage and defeat Class 2 and Class 3 unmanned aircraft. The company also says the vehicle can withdraw after an engagement to reduce its exposure to enemy counterfire.
Earlier demonstrations of Tempest showed the system on a commercially derived 4x4 vehicle. Configurations displayed publicly included dual launchers and counter-UAS sensors. However, the latest Marine Corps contract notice does not publicly specify the exact production configuration that will be delivered.
The contract also does not confirm the precise missile or interceptor package, radar configuration, electro-optical sensors, engagement range or software architecture of the 10 Marine Corps vehicles.
Marine Corps DASH Requirement
The procurement is connected to the Marine Corps' Denied Area Sprinter-Hellfire (DASH) requirement for a highly mobile counter-small-UAS capability.
Earlier Marine Corps contracting information identified a requirement for a system at Technology Readiness Level 9, meaning a mature system demonstrated in an operational environment. The earlier requirement also indicated an intention to procure up to 50 systems, although the current contract covers an initial 10 vehicles.
V2X has separately confirmed that it received an award to provide counter-UAS capabilities through the Tempest platform. The company describes Tempest as a mobile system developed to detect, engage and defeat unmanned aircraft.
Focus on Mobile Counter-Drone Operations
Tempest is designed around mobility rather than a fixed defensive position. Its ability to relocate after an engagement is intended to support operations in environments where counter-UAS systems may themselves be exposed to enemy observation and fires.
The Marine Corps requirement is aimed at providing a mobile capability that can support maneuvering forces. The system's combination of a compact vehicle, sensors and weapon launchers allows it to be positioned with units and moved as operational requirements change.
The contract's inclusion of software management, training and related equipment indicates that the procurement covers more than the vehicles themselves. The total contract value therefore should not be treated as a simple calculation of $19.06 million divided by 10 vehicles.
Part of a Broader Counter-UAS Approach
Tempest will add another counter-UAS option to the Marine Corps' ground-based air-defense capabilities. It is not described in the available contract information as a replacement for the service's broader Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS).
V2X's own description places Tempest in the mobile counter-UAS role, with the system intended to engage Class 2 and Class 3 unmanned aircraft.
The effectiveness of such a system also depends on the availability and integration of targeting information. The Marine Corps has not publicly released the complete software and network architecture for the vehicles under this contract, so it is not yet clear how the production Tempest vehicles will be integrated with existing Marine Corps command-and-control and air-defense networks.
What Remains Undisclosed
The public information currently available does not identify the specific Marine Corps unit that will receive the 10 vehicles.
It also does not confirm the final chassis configuration, exact radar and sensor equipment, interceptor type, engagement parameters, reload arrangements or detailed software architecture for the Marine Corps production vehicles.
The $19.06 million contract nevertheless establishes an initial procurement of 10 Tempest vehicles and moves the platform from its earlier public demonstrations into a defined Marine Corps acquisition program.
V2X has described Tempest as a commercially based mobile combat vehicle intended to provide counter-UAS capability with dual launchers and rapid relocation after engagement. The Marine Corps contract will now support the delivery, training, software management and sustainment elements associated with the initial fleet.
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