Foundation for U.S. ballistic-missile defense system upgraded, modernized
NewsMarch 23, 2018
DENVER. Lockheed Martin reports that the group of systems that enables the disparate elements of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) to function as a complete global defense network has completed an overhaul and modernization project.
The modernized Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system, say Lockheed Martin officials, vastly improves collaborative ballistic missile defense planning and gives both global and regional combatant commands the ability for rapid operational response.
Originally fielded in 2004, the C2BMC network links traditionally autonomous space, sea and terrestrial sensors and their associated systems, gathering the best target data from each to provide the highest probability of intercepting ballistic missile threats directed against the U.S., its forces deployed around the world, and allied nations.
The recent upgrade saw a team led by Lockheed Martin -- and including Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing, and General Dynamics -- modernize the entire C2BMC global network, which is deployed at numerous locations throughout the world. The team developed, tested, and deployed sophisticated track processing, sensors, and battle-management algorithms to optimize how C2BMC processes data from all the BMDS elements, thereby giving the system increased capacity to handle larger and more complicated threats.
C2BMC's modernization, according to Lockheed Martin documents, is predicated on a new flexible architecture that eases the integration of new capabilities, increases system reliability, substantially reduces the overall hardware footprint, and lowers total system life cycle costs. Moreover, the new architecture has been cyber hardened to mitigate threats to the network and systems.
"Truly integrated ballistic missile defense can never be static," said Dr. Rob Smith, vice president of C4ISR Systems for Lockheed Martin. "C2BMC must maintain pace and be flexible to changes in technology, capability improvements, and adversarial conditions."
