Northrop Grumman’s IBCS Approved For Full Rate Production, Readying Transformational System For Fielding Around the Globe
The U.S. Defense Department has approved Full Rate Production for Northrop Grumman's (NYSE: NOC) Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), a key step in modernizing the U.S. Army's air and missile defense capabilities. The IBCS seamlessly integrates various sensors and weapons, providing decision-quality fire control data for enhanced situational awareness. With the full-rate production decision, the Army can establish an operational schedule for IBCS deployment. The system's architecture supports coalition interoperability and has already been chosen by Poland for its defense modernization. Recent successful tests, including intercepting a cruise missile without traditional radar, highlight IBCS's flexibility. The program is backed by a $1.4 billion production contract and is on track for initial operational capability declaration in 2023.
- Full Rate Production approval for IBCS by the U.S. Defense Department.
- Strengthens U.S. Army's air and missile defense modernization strategy.
- Successful interception of a cruise missile during tests demonstrates IBCS's capability.
- Poland's selection of IBCS showcases its international appeal and market potential.
- The program is supported by a $1.4 billion production contract.
- None.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Defense Department has approved Full Rate Production for Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). 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 rapidly integrates all available sensors and shooters to deliver decision-quality 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.
“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.”
The full rate production decision enables the U.S. Army to set the fielding schedule for IBCS to operational air defense units. The system provides state-of-the-art, all domain command and control for integrated air and missile defense for U.S. interests across the globe. Poland selected IBCS to serve as the centerpiece of the country’s air and missile defense modernization, and as it is adopted by more U.S. allies and partners, IBCS will enable high levels of coalition forces interoperability and network integration.
This decision is the latest in a series of milestones for the program. In a paradigm-busting developmental test in November 2022, IBCS successfully intercepted a cruise missile target using a Patriot interceptor without having a Patriot radar in the system architecture. The test demonstrated the flexibility of the IBCS system architecture and its capacity to optimize the capabilities of integrated sensors and effectors onto its network. Additionally, the Agile framework used for IBCS software development yields rapid capability enhancements and addresses emerging threats.
In December 2021, Northrop Grumman was awarded a
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. By enabling this high level of network integration, the warfighter is given unprecedented time to make decisions within the kill chain. 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.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 95,000 employees define possible every day.
| Contact: | Meaghan Cox 256-788-4977 (mobile) meaghan.cox@ngc.com |
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e9e721d-3a62-4e63-80c6-5ac046a1f330
FAQ
What is the significance of the Full Rate Production approval for Northrop Grumman's IBCS?
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How does IBCS improve the U.S. Army's defense strategy?
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