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 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.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Digital Battlespace
-
Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker
The Vision4ce Deep Embedded Feature Tracking (DEFT) technology software is designed to process video and images by blending traditional computer vision with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to present actionable information from complex environments.
-
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
-
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.