Northrop Grumman IBCS air and missile defence system complete key test phase
IBCS testing at White Sands Missile Range covered a broad spectrum of attack and defence scenarios under realistic conditions. (Photo: US Army)
Northrop Grumman's IBCS missile and air defence system for the US Army has completed its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation at White Sands Missile Range.
Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) has completed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E), the company announced on 8 November. IOT&E represents the last major test event before the US Army makes the decision to move the programme to Full-Rate Production.
IOT&E began in January at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, encompassing a series of operational flight tests. During a ten-month period, soldiers operated IBCS in test environments encompassing a broad spectrum of attack and defence scenarios under realistic operating conditions.
As part of the flight tests at WSMR, IBCS detected, tracked and intercepted threats that included a high-speed, high-performance tactical ballistic missile and two cruise missile surrogates during an electronic attack.
''Throughout IOT&E, we’ve shown how IBCS enables the warfighter to make more informed and faster decisions,' said Christine Harbison, VP and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. 'IBCS is ready for today’s threats and those of the future, making Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) a reality.'
The US Army awarded Northrop Grumman a five-year $1 billion-plus contract for low-rate initial production and full-rate production of IBCS in December 2021.
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