Northrop’s IBCS shows long-distance capability

Northrop Grumman's Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) has  successfully demonstrated the ability to scale up and network across long distances during a recent US Army-led test.

The evaluation was conducted over a five-week period with air and missile defense assets located at sites in New Mexico, Texas and Alabama.

As part of Soldier Checkout Event 4.0, the multi-node distributed test examined IBCS’ scalability, resilience and performance under stressing threat conditions. The open-architecture IBCS networked more than 20 nodes across White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Integrated to operate as a single system, the test involved nine IBCS engagement operations centers and 12 IBCS integrated fire control network relays, along with Sentinel short-range air defence radars and Patriot radars, and Patriot Advance Capability Two (PAC-2), PAC-3 and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors.

The test required IBCS to virtually form an IAMD task force to defend four critical assets while tracking red and blue fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles. Multiple two-hour scenarios were run to check IBCS abilities, including providing and managing a network to maintain voice, data and video connectivity; performing friend-or-foe identification of air objects and forming a single integrated air picture; and planning, executing and monitoring simulated threat engagements.

The test also included dynamically adding and removing nodes to confirm IBCS’ ability to self-configure as a mobile ad hoc network.

With IBCS, air and missile defence commanders can arrange forces over extensive distances using whatever means of communications that are available. Today, commanders are restricted by the proprietary and limited networks tied to the individual closed systems.

IBCS is the central component of the army’s future IAMD construct.