The U.S. has approved a potential $4 billion deal with Poland for more Northrop Grumman [NOC]-built Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) equipment.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on Monday of the new foreign military sale, which covers 93 IBCS Engagement Operation Centers and 175 IBCS Integrated Fire Control Network relays.
The new FMS case is intended to meet Poland’s request “to buy phase two of a two-phase program for an IBCS-enabled Patriot Configuration-3+ with modernized sensors and components,” according to the State Department announcement.
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s missile defense capability and contribute to Poland’s goal of updating its military capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” the DSCA said in a statement.
Under the new potential $4 billion deal, Poland would also receive network encryptors, IBCS software development and component integration, System Integration Lab infrastructure and equipment, flight test infrastructure and equipment, flight test targets and U.S. government and contractor support, according to the State Department.
IBCS is the U.S. Army’s new missile defense command platform, designed to connect the service’s full range of “sensor to shooter” capabilities.
The Army in December 2021 awarded Northrop Grumman a potential $1.4 billion deal for IBCS low-rate production and the program was then approved for full rate production this past April (Defense Daily, April 12).
Poland signed on to become the first international IBCS operator after agreeing to a $4.75 billion deal with the U.S. in March 2018 to purchase the Patriot missile defense system along with the new Northrop Grumman-built battle command system in support of the first phase of its WISLA air and missile defense modernization program (Defense Daily, March 28, 2018).
Northrop Grumman said on Sept. 8 that Poland’s 37th Air Defense Squadron has reached basic operational capability (BOC) with IBCS, and is progressing toward achieving initial operational capability (IOC).
“BOC is a significant step for the Polish [integrated air and missile defense] development process. From the operational and technical point of view, after all checks were completed during the BOC military exercises, we can confirm that all components of the first battery are connected and integrated with each other into one system. This allows us to take operator training to the next level and achieve IOC soon,” Brig. Gen. Michał Marciniak, deputy head of Poland’s Armament Agency, said in a statement.
Ahead of Monday’s announcement of the IBCS deal with Poland, the State Department in late June approved a potential $15 billion deal covering 48 Patriot M903 launch stations, up to 644 Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles and 12 of RTX’s [RTX] new Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar (Defense Daily, June 28).
Poland then signed a letter of acceptance last week for the $15 billion deal, with RTX noting the country will be the first international customers for the LTAMDS radar (Defense Daily, Sept. 5).
“With the introduction of LTAMDS, Poland will become the first country after the U.S. to complement the combat-proven Patriot with LTAMDS which provides extended range and full, 360-degree coverage to detect and defend against complex, highly coordinated, multi-threat attack scenarios,” Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at RTX’s Raytheon business unit, said in a statement.