HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The time has come for Northrop Grumman Corporation's Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). On Thursday April 14, the United States Defense Department approved Full Rate Production for the IBCS. According to the press release on Northrop Grumman's website, "The decision scales the U.S. Army’s ability to field the paradigm-changing system, enabling sensor to decider to weapon integration. It also affirms IBCS’s role as the cornerstone of the U.S. Army’s air and missile defense modernization strategy."
IBCS's role is to centralize the vast amount of information that is avaliable from various command and control domains. IBCS integrates all available sensors and shooters to deliver fire control data across joint networks providing a 360-degree view, even if a sensor becomes inoperable. This capability provides increased situational awareness, more effectively manages resources, and enables integration across coalition partners. Full rate production will enable the U.S. Army to roll out IBCS to operational air defense units.
"IBCS transforms the battlespace by fusing data from any sensor to create a single integrated air picture allowing commanders to see the battlespace and use the best weapons to defeat complex threats," said Rebecca Torzone, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. "Northrop Grumman shares the U.S. Army’s commitment to the rapid deployment of IBCS."
IBCS implements a modular, open and scalable architecture that is foundational to integrating available assets in the battlespace, regardless of source, service or domain onto a common fire control network. Its architecture enables the efficient and affordable integration of current and future systems and extends the battlespace by disaggregating sensors and effectors. According to Northrop Grumman, "Through numerous successful development and operational tests and demonstrations, IBCS has proven its capability to connect and fuse multi-service sensor data to multi-service weapons, demonstrating Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) capabilities."