Future Ready Command and Control

By Yasmin Tadjdeh

When a volley of Iranian missiles crossed into Qatari airspace this summer, a layered collection of U.S.- and Qatari-based weapons intercepted and protected Doha’s Al-Udeid Air Base, which houses 10,000 U.S. troops. While the coordinated attack was prevented this time, it illuminated a growing concern: missile threats to the U.S. and allies are increasing.

Tackling these evolving and complex threats requires innovation and capacity to produce solutions at speed and scale. Northrop Grumman is rapidly delivering leading-edge technologies that counter today’s threats and are adaptable for tomorrow.

A prime example of Nortrhop Grumman’s innovative technoogy is our revolutionary command and control (C2). C2 technologies provide warfighters the data they need to execute any mission, protecting the U.S. and supporting global security.

“We’ve developed the C2 backbone that connects disparate systems for a comprehensive, actionable view of the battlespace,” said Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager, command and control and weapons integration, Northrop Grumman. “This is the make-or-break technology required when commanders face their toughest challenges and need to make split-second decisions.”

By closely collaborating with the U.S. Army, Northrop Grumman is constantly evolving IBCS to bring unmatched flexibility, efficiency and readiness. Through an innovative adaptive framework, IBCS can remain agile and responsive to dynamic mission requirements including a mobile configuration for expeditionary operations to a deployment as part of a layered homeland defense.

Driven by a bold and innovative vision for the future, Northrop Grumman is leaning forward and developing critical advancements for IBCS including a smaller form factor to enhance mobility and survivability, integrating artificial intelligence and automation to advance decision making, and containerized software to enable faster capability updates.

With innovative thinking and targeted investments in our domestic manufacturing footprint, we are able to scale at speed to respond quickly to evolving needs while also supporting thousands of local jobs and more than $1 billion in economic output in Alabama alone.

Nowhere is this more evident than Northrop Grumman’s strategic $20 million investment in its new state-of-the-art Enhanced Production and Integration Center, or EPIC, located in Madison, Alabama, where our teams will manufacture IBCS under a full-rate production contract for the U.S. Army.

EPIC allows fast and efficient production of critical capabilities like IBCS, while expanding capacity for future high-rate manufacturing programs. 

“Through investments in manufacturing excellence, Northrop Grumman is leading the way in innovation and capacity, with the ability to swiftly scale to meet urgent warfighter needs,” Todorov said. “EPIC gives us a space to innovate and accelerate production of the next generation of IBCS – one that is more mobile, agile and distributed. We’re investing now in tomorrow and are well underway with our vision of the future.”

Building on its pioneering expertise in advanced C2 technologies, Northrop Grumman is empowering warfighters with systems designed to be more agile, adaptable and mission-ready. Guided by a forward-looking roadmap that combines innovation with scalability, we are leveraging our legacy as a technology leader and manufacturing powerhouse to deliver the cutting-edge capabilities warfighters need to outpace and overcome any threat.

Learn more about how Northrop Grumman is shaping the future of C2 technology.