The US Army has tested the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), developed by Northrop Grumman, which detected and intercepted two surrogate cruise missile targets.
Conducted at White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, the test was part of the Follow-on Operational Test & Evaluation (FOT&E) that evaluates IBCS performance in realistic tactical environments.
During the test, the US Army used IBCS to detect, track, and engage the targets with multiple interceptors.
Moreover, the system was tested with US Navy units to evaluate coordination across services.
The FOT&E results will guide further development and fielding, ensuring IBCS can support joint, multi-domain operations and future integrated air and missile defense requirements.
“By defeating complex threats, IBCS proved its flexibility to integrate new technologies and unify systems regardless of source, service or domain,” stated Jeremy Knupp, VP of global command and control solutions at Northrop Grumman.
IBCS
IBCS connects sensors, weapons, and command-and-control systems that were not originally designed to operate together.
It gathers data from multiple domains and fuses it into a single air picture.
Using this information, IBCS identifies threats and assigns the most appropriate weapon to engage them, providing layered protection for territory, infrastructure, and assets.
Its networked architecture enables real-time coordination, rapid threat assessment, and continuous situational awareness.
The system is under full-rate production by Northrop Grumman at a new manufacturing facility in Madison, Alabama, to increase output and support the US Army’s integrated air and missile defense modernization program.
In December 2021, the US Army awarded IBCS a five-year production contract worth over $1 billion.
Over the next decade, IBCS is expected to replace the US Army’s existing integrated air and missile defense command-and-control systems, including the Patriot, THAAD, and FAAD.
