IBCS will help enable multi-domain operations in battlespace
The U.S. Army awarded Northrop Grumman a $1.4 billion contract for both low-rate initial production and full-rate production of its future battle command system, Pentagon announced on December 23.
The service received two bids and the work locations and funding will be determined with each order, according to the DoD announcement. The estimated completion date for the contract is Dec. 22, 2026.
Northrop Grumman will deliver up to 160 systems to support the modernization of air and missile defense for the U.S. Army and foreign partner. “This award represents the first significant competition for this major defense acquisition program since the 2009 award of the engineering and manufacturing development contract,” U.S. Army statement said.
Future battle command system
The Army’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) will link sensors and shooters across the battlefield. The system is the centerpiece of the U.S. Army’s modernization strategy for air and missile defense capability. IBCS will deliver the most advanced, battle survivable command and control (C2) system for U.S., joint and coalition forces, providing revolutionary multi-domain defense capabilities.
IBCS “will provide a decisive battlefield advantage through weapon and sensor integration and a common mission-command system across all domains, delivering an integrated fires capability to the warfighter while improving battle space awareness, decision timing and protection against threats in complex integrated attack scenarios.”
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System is “a software-defined, hardware-enabled system that integrates and optimizes every-sensor/best-effector operations using a net-centric Integrated Fire Control Network that senses, identifies, tracks and defeats air and missile threats” according to Northrop Grumman aerospace and defense company.
