U.S. Army completes series of integration testing on air defense system
NewsApril 27, 2016
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. The U.S. Army completed a series integration testing with its defense system, the Integrated Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-Intercept (IFPC Inc 2-I). Currently in development, the IFPC Inc 2-I aims in protecting soldiers from aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), artillery weapons, rockets, and mortars.
During testing conducted this March and April, the IFPC Inc 2-I demonstrated its ability to connect to the AIAMD system and utilize its Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS).
"If you go back and take a look at what has happened in terms of the threat over the last couple years you'll find that UAS systems and cruise missiles have really become a problem," says Col. Terrence Howard, program manager for Cruise Missile Defense Systems. "So we've got to introduce materiel solutions that can address multiple threats."
The Army's Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space's Cruise Missile Defense Systems Project Office and the Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center are working together on the IFPC Inc 2-I program.
"(It's about) integration of a lot of existing capability," says Tamera Adams, chief engineer with the Army's Cruise Missile Defense Systems projects. Officials state that the IFPC Inc 2-I must integrate into the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense system (AIAMD), which is a network air defense system that is also undergoing testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
"The idea behind that is 'plug and fight,' take multiple systems, multiple radars, and put it on a network and solve whatever threat situation we have out there," Howard says.
The IFPC Inc 2-I features the Multi-Mission Launcher (MML), which carries 15 modular missile launch tubes on a turret system – mounted on a medium tactical truck – allowing the missiles to be launched in almost any direction.
"We've been working for the past 24 months, on maturing the design of our new launcher and integrating with three major existing programs: AIAMD, the sentinel radar system, and the AIM-9X missile," Adams says.
Read more on missile defense:
JASSM-ER missile production to continue for U.S. Air Force
Northrop Grumman's IBCS engages multiple targets in Army missile test
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