Northrop Grumman Corporation delivered the first production Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) major end item, an Integrated Collaborative Environment (ICE), to the U.S. Army on December 19, 2023. Working at an accelerated pace, the Northrop Grumman team will deliver additional major end items in early 2024 to support the Army’s aggressive modernization schedule. As part of the Low-Rate Initial Production award, Northrop Grumman is producing IBCS equipment and providing product engineering and logistics support. The ICE is a modular, electromagnetic interference-protected shelter hosting battle management workstations which enable warfighters to perform air and missile defense planning and defensive operations. Upcoming major end item deliveries will include the Engagement Operation Centers and Integrated Fire Control Network relays.
Rebecca Torzone, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman: “Northrop Grumman is working at an accelerated delivery schedule because the U.S. Army and its allies understand the power of IBCS and how it revolutionizes the warfighter’s approach to the battlespace. Providing IBCS equipment for testing and fielding brings more accurate decision making, improved situational awareness and a shield of security to the warfighter.”
Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) is the cornerstone of the Army’s air and missile defense modernization strategy, allowing forces to maintain overmatch while reducing mission risk. It has the ability to rapidly network any sensor, including fielded and developmental radars, to any shooter and deliver decision-quality fire control data across joint networks as shown in multiple successful tests and demonstrations. In 2023, IBCS was approved for full rate production and achieved initial operational capability, enabling the Army to set a fielding schedule for operational air defense units.
IBCS is a revolutionary command and control system unifying current and future assets in the battlespace, regardless of source, service or domain. Through its modular, open and scalable architecture, IBCS gives warfighters capabilities not previously available by fusing sensor data for a single actionable picture of the full battlespace, enabling rapid, informed decisions to optimize shooters. This capability gives warfighters more time to make decisions on how best to defeat threats. IBCS is the centerpiece of the U.S. Army’s modernization strategy for air and missile defense and is currently being fielded in Poland. IBCS is a foundational element for the multi-domain, multi-national future.
