The Army’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) was used to successfully defend the Washington, D.C., region against simulated cruise missile and compromised aircraft in recent demonstrations, showcasing additional system capabilities for the service’s future air and missile defense command and control platform.
The Northrop Grumman [NOC]-developed IBCS, which achieved initial operational capability with the Army in the spring, was recently demonstrated using data from Army, Air Force, and Navy sensors. Northrop Grumman said with the testing in the National Capital Region “IBCS has now shown its data-centric extensibility to take on additional missions including homeland defense, as it has proven through previous rigorous testing of its ability to defend the warfighter.”
In the first two demonstrations, held in February and June, the IBCS’ open architecture quickly integrated existing Army and Air Force sensors and effectors including the Sentinel A4 aerial surveillance radar, the Avenger short-range air defense system, and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. In a third demonstration, held in August, soldiers used IBCS and the Joint Track Management Capability to integrate Navy sensor data to “significantly extend the defended area,” Northrop Grumman said.
The Joint Track Management Capability links IBCS with the Navy’s Cooperative Engagement Capability, which networks sensors for situational awareness and integrated fire control to improve the anti-air warfare capability of Navy ships and aircraft.
“IBCS is continuously showing its ability to unify all available sensors and shooters,” Rebecca Torzone, vice president and general manager for combat systems and mission readiness at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement. “Through the recent National Capital Region demonstrations, IBCS proved its capabilities in providing homeland defense against cruise missiles and other aerial threats. IBCS is ready now to take on tomorrow’s threats.”
IBCS is in low-rate initial production and deliveries are expected to begin at the end of this year, a Northrop Grumman spokeswoman said. A full-rate production (FRP) contract was awarded in April and the Army and Northrop Grumman are negotiating contractual actions for starting FRP, she said.