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Inside the Integrated Battle Command System operations center at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. (US Army)

WASHINGTON — The Army’s Integrated Battle Command System has successfully completed initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), opening the door for full rate production, prime contractor Northrop Grumman announced Tuesday.

IBCS aims to connect disparate missile defense assets to improve command and control, and will play an important role in the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept. For example, during the Army’s Project Convergence demonstration last year, the Army used IBCS to remotely track and engage targets, including the use of the F-35 to provide tracking data. Project Convergence is the Army’s series of technical demonstrations aimed at bringing capabilities required for JADC2 to life on the battlefield.

“Once fielded, IBCS will extend the battlespace beyond what a single sensor tied to a single effector can provide, allowing the use of a sensor or effector’s full range and enabling the warfighter to quickly see and act on data across the entire battlefield,” Northrop Grumman’s announcement explained.

The Army awarded the company a five-year, $1.4 billion contract in late December for production of up to 160 systems for the service and those of US allies. The service’s decision to move IBCS into full-rate production is expected “early next year,” a company spokesperson told Breaking Defense.

The IOT&E period ran from January through the end of October at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The IBCS underwent a battery of ground tests, as well as two flight tests completed this spring against ballistic and cruise missile targets. A third test was slated for this fall, but did not occur because of a technical glitch.

“There were the two flight tests and one ‘no test’ resulting from an issue with the target, but IBCS performance was nominal,” the spokesperson said.

“Throughout IOT&E, we’ve shown how IBCS enables the warfighter to make more informed and faster decisions,” said Christine Harbison, Northrop Grumman’s vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, in Tuesday’s announcement. “IBCS is ready for today’s threats and those of the future, making [JADC2] a reality.”