The fate of the new Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) now rests in the hands of the U.S. Army after Northrop Grumman Corporation completed its final assessment of the sensor system this week.
ICBS is meant to be a battlespace enhancer, allowing soldiers to move beyond single sensor-effector systems to gain use of a sensor or effector’s full range of data from across an entire battlefield. Meant to be modular, open, and scalable, the system should be capable of integrating various assets from any battlefield through the integration of both current and future systems. Tests have so far shown it capable of connecting and fusing multi-service sensor data to multi-service weapons.
“Throughout IOT&E, we’ve shown how IBCS enables the warfighter to make more informed and faster decisions,” said Christine Harbison, vice president and general manager of combat systems and mission readiness for Northrop Grumman. “IBCS is ready for today’s threats and those of the future, making Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) a reality.”
IOT&E, or Operational Test and Evaluation, was the last big hurdle after 10 months of testing before the Army decides whether to shift the program from low-rate production to full-rate production. The latter would allow Northrop Grumman to field the IBCS worldwide. Tests have included efforts to detect, track and intercept threats from a high-speed, high-performance tactical ballistic missile and two cruise missile surrogates during an electronic attack.