Northrop Grumman Adds Boeing To Its Team Pursuing The Integrated Air And Missile Defense Battle Command System

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced that the Boeing Company has joined its team pursuing the U.S. Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) program.

Northrop Grumman announced in October 2006 that it was bidding as the prime contractor for this procurement, which is being managed by the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Program Office, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space located in Huntsville, Ala. A request for proposals is expected in first quarter of this year.

“We are proud to have Boeing join our world-class team,” said Frank Moore, vice president of Missile Defense Division for Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems sector. “Our legacy of providing open-architecture, non-proprietary solutions for the warfighter is ideally suited for this program. Boeing’s experience providing the software common operating environment for system integration will strengthen our team and ensure that we will deliver the integrated battle control capabilities the Army needs for the future. We believe our team’s experience will help the Army optimize existing air and missile defense assets and revolutionize battle command capabilities in support of Army modernization efforts.”

The IBCS is an Army modernization program that will establish a network-centric system-of-systems solution for integrating sensors, shooters, and battle management command, control, communications and intelligence systems for Army air and missile defense. This effort will focus on providing the warfighter an open architecture that will allow any sensor and any shooter to be plugged into the integrated fire control network. This will allow the Army to take a “best-of-breed” approach to providing capabilities to the warfighter. IBCS is the first step toward a joint integrated air and missile defense capability.

“We are pleased to join Northrop Grumman’s team, leveraging our Boeing enterprise experience in air and missile defense, the systems-of-systems common operating environment for the Army, and our experience with battle management command, control, and communications,” said Rick Baily, vice president and general manager of Boeing Command, Control, and Communications Networks. “This program is all about providing the warfighter an effective, integrated battle command capability to counter the continually evolving air and missile threat.”

Northrop Grumman is a leading provider of command and control and battle management systems across the U.S. Department of Defense. The company will leverage its systems engineering and integration expertise derived from fielding the Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar system to support the IBCS effort. Northrop Grumman is also responsible for building and fielding the Air Defense Airspace Management Cell, which is resident at every brigade combat team, division and corps to integrate the common activities of air defense and aviation. Further, Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for developing and fielding the Air and Missile Defense Workstation (AMDWS), a decision dominance system used successfully in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. AMDWS has been proliferated throughout the Army and provides 3-D situational awareness and understanding.