OREANDA-NEWS. November 06, 2015. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered four prototype engagement operations center shelters for the integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS), incorporating improvements resulting from input gathered from air and missile defenders.

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"These new shelters will offer significantly more speed and flexibility to conduct IBCS operations, and better protection of our soldiers," said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, integrated air and missile defense division, Northrop Grumman Information Systems. "Our ability to deliver the first of these prototypes just 11 months after contract award benefited from our integration and production expertise and continued close collaboration with the Army."

The four prototype shelters were developed as a result of several warfighter exercises that Northrop Grumman employs to gain soldier "hands-on" experience and feedback into the products. The identified focus areas include shortening time to engagement, increasing transportability and improving protection for the soldiers.

Two people can set up the new shelter, which provides basic IBCS engagement capabilities more rapidly. It is designed to be compatible with any Army load-handling-system vehicle for greater transporting options. The shelters have been integrated with an active system to protect soldiers from CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives) hazards.

"We appreciate the valuable input provided by the TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command) capability manager and the soldiers of the 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment to help us improve the IBCS," said Verwiel.

The shelters will be used by IAMD warfighters to further assess for future design upgrades and mature the system, continuing Northrop Grumman's warfighter-centered design philosophy for enhancing the IBCS.

Foundational to IAMD transformation and key to the Army IAMD portfolio, the IBCS is managed by the IAMD Project Office, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

IBCS replaces seven legacy command-and-control (C2) systems to provide a single integrated air picture, reduce single points of failure and offer the flexibility for deployment of smaller force packages. By networking sensors and interceptors – as opposed to simply linking them – IBCS provides wider area surveillance and broader protection areas. With its truly open systems architecture, IBCS enables integration of current and future sensors and weapon systems and interoperability with joint C2 and the ballistic missile defense system.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.