Multiple missile threats detected, engaged during U.S. Army/Northrop Grumman radar and sensor testing
NewsDecember 16, 2019
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. The U.S. Army and Northrop Grumman Corp. report successful simultaneous engagement of two incoming target cruise missiles during a flight test using the Army?s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) battle command system (IBCS).
Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, missile defense and protective systems, Northrop Grumman, said of the trial: “Taking advantage of all available resources in the battlefield, IBCS enhances battlefield survivability by enabling 360-degree sensor coverage, and enables highest probability of defeat by ensuring the most effective weapon is used to intercept each threat.”
Information regarding the test from Northrop Grumman shows that the flight test, designed to emulate potential real-world events, began with the launch of two cruise missile surrogate threats; the cruise missiles flew in a maneuvering formation until close to their targets, and then split off to attack two separate defended assets. As part of the test, IBCS fused data from the various participating sensors and external networks into accurate composite tracks of both threats, developed the engagement plan employed by the soldiers to successfully launch two PAC-2 missiles, and intercepted both cruise-missile targets.
Brig. Gen. Brian Gibson, Army Futures Command and director of the Air and Missile Defense Cross Functional Team, states that IBCS is expected to undergo Limited User Test in the second quarter of 2020.
