Northrop's ready to hit the gas on IBCS
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Northrop is exploring options to make IBCS more mobile and versatile, including with Infantry Squad Vehicles. Photo: Courtesy Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is ready to ramp up production of its Huntsville-built Integrated Battle Command System.
Why it matters: As IBCS gains traction and demand grows, Northrop is focused on scaling production and adapting the system for modular use on smaller platforms.
Catch up quick: The IBCS is a software-driven air and missile defense nerve center, tying sensors and shooters into one network, manufactured at Northrop's sprawling EPIC facility.
- Earlier this year, the company said the system is now in full-rate production, pitched as a scalable fit for growing U.S. and allied demand.
Case in point: During a media tour Monday, Northrop leaders said two or three additional countries could sign on for IBCS this year, joining Poland, for which the system is already fully operational.
- Jackson McAnally, operations project manager at EPIC, said IBCS alone could drive 1,000 new hires in the next five years, joining Northrop's 3,200 other Huntsville employees.
- Jeremy Knupp, vice president of command and control solutions, noted IBCS's 32 of 32 flight test record, and said that by fusing multiple battlefield sensors together, accuracy is increased and munitions expenditure can be cut threefold.
Zoom in: To help explain what IBCS does, Northrop has invested at EPIC in multimedia presentation facilities that can put the viewer in the operator's seat, called Battle One.
- Jon Ferko, senior director for mission solutions and strategy, gave reporters a demo Monday, showing the video explanations and virtual representations of what operators would see in the field, and demonstrating how IBCS works.
What they're saying: "It's a complex topic, and we found ourselves going in, talking with customers, talking with other tech companies, using PowerPoint," he said.
- Battle One offers a clear look at how IBCS connects traditionally "stovepiped" networks across different weapon systems and assets.