The U.S. Army awarded Northrop Grumman a $60.6 million contract on Oct. 11 for continued work on the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System program.
This contract enables ongoing support for engineering, logistics, integration, test and evaluation, training and program management as the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System progresses through the design and development phase in preparation for fielding. This work supports an upcoming IBCS Limited User Test, which will start in second quarter 2020, and leads into a Milestone C decision expected in third quarter 2020.
“In partnership with our Army customer, we have demonstrated through numerous tests and exercises that the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System performs exceptionally well in realistic and increasingly complex operational environments,” said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, missile defense and protective systems, Northrop Grumman. “IBCS is mature and well positioned for both the LUT and a successful Milestone C decision.”
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System is the cornerstone of the Army’s IAMD modernization program. The ability of IBCS to network all available sensors and interceptors enhances battlefield survivability by providing redundancy, cyber resiliency and eliminating vectors of attack.
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System further enhances survivability by allowing air defenders to have a broader view of the battlespace. IBCS integrates and fuses data from disparate sensors into a single integrated air picture with unprecedented accuracy. Networked operations enabled by IBCS expand the area of protection and allow action to be taken against threats at greater ranges.
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System successfully demonstrated this advanced beyond-line-of-site, engage-on-net capability in an August flight test, where a combination of Patriot and Sentinel radars connected over the IBCS Integrated Fire Control Network were used to detect and intercept a low-flying cruise missile target using a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor. This was the farthest ever intercept by a PAC-3 air defense missile.
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System has been further validated through a series of exercises, checkout events and training activities conducted by U.S. Army soldiers.
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System is managed by the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space at Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal. Work under this latest contract will be performed by Northrop Grumman in Huntsville, with an estimated completion in 2021.