The U.S. Army recently tested Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) to overcome “enemy” jamming and direct Patriot missiles to intercept target drones. The Patriot radar and missile battery was integrated with a pair of short-range Sentinel radars to give operators extra time to plan their defense. The pairing enabled them to take down their targets with just one interceptor missile apiece – half the normal number used in an engagement.
IBCS a command-and-control (C2) system was developed by Northrop Grumman to deliver a single, unambiguous view of the battlespace, integrating current and future sensors and weapon systems and interoperability. Raytheon’s Sentinel radars alert front-line air-defense weapons whenever they detect hostile planes, helicopters, drones or missiles.
The exercise demonstrated the Army’s continued progress in linking more weapons and more sensors in order to take out any target with anything on the battlefield.
“Now imagine being able to take that with more sensors, more joint interceptors and with a joint command and control and now you have yourself the joint kill web,” said Lt. Gen. Dan Karbler, commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
The eventual goal is the creation of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control – a web of sensor-to-weapon networks that expands across the services and across land, air, sea, space,and cyberspace.
“It doesn’t matter who owns the sensor… the ultimate vision, and we aren’t there yet, is it doesn’t even have to be an air defense sensor, as we integrate sensors into this network,” said Gen. Murray, the commander of Army Futures Command.