Battle management C2 systems are driving the next phase of integrated air defence
Northrop Grumman’s IBCS provides integrated air defence and goes as far as to recommend potential weapons to use. (Image: Northrop Grumman)
Battlefield and wider air defence C2 systems integrating a range of agnostic sensors have risen in prominence, from Turkey’s Aselsan developing Steel Dome to Northrop Grumman providing its own system to Poland and the US Army.
Battle management and air defence systems share common ground, bringing together diverse and multi-company sensors and weapons under a single control structure to provide a broad defence capability.
Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) was selected by the US Army in 2010, before being contracted for low-rate initial production and full-rate production in 2022. The company began delivering for a Polish contract in 2023.
DiamondShield, an air defence C2 system developed by Lockheed Martin, was unveiled in 2018 and was, according to the company, being developed for “an international customer”.
Similarly, Thales’ SkyDefender is a multi-layer, multi-domain integrated
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