The Pentagon continues to expand its presence in the Pacific. It has reached basing arrangements in recent years with the Philippines, Japan, and Australia. The security and usefulness of these installations is bolstered by a parallel effort, as leading weapons developers seek out the means to better protect ground-based platforms. This includes the exploration of reinforced hardened structures and hangars in which to house high-value items such as fighter jets, and the additional integration of advanced missile-defense systems to bases in sensitive areas such as Guam.
An F-35A Lightning II, flown by Maj. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, F-35 A Lightning II Demonstration Team commander, performs aerial displays during the Joint Base Andrews 2022 Air & Space Expo, at JBA, Md., Sept. 18, 2022. Wolfe demonstrated several difficult maneuvers throughout her performance at the Air & Space Expo to provide an opportunity for people to see U.S. military air capabilities in action. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ben Cash)
The U.S. is now in the process of adding several new bases to the Philippines. But alongside the tactical advantages this yields—the country’s geography offers greater proximity and access to high-threat areas—the presence of forward-positioned assets can also increase a force’s vulnerability.
Most publicly available wargames begin with the premise that any attack on Taiwan, the Philippines, or Japan would likely begin with an incoming salvo of ballistic missiles aimed at destroying air defenses and weapons.
One wargame carried out in recent months by RAND found that ground-based fifth-generation aircraft would be at great risk of being destroyed from the air during an opening attack from China.
IBCS to Guam
Given this threat scenario, it is not at all surprising that the U.S. is greatly reinforcing missile defense at critical locations throughout the Pacific. For example, the U.S. and Northrop Grumman are bringing the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) to Guam. Operating with such a system will be advanced Patriot missile batteries, which have shown they can destroy two high-speed maneuvering cruise missiles simultaneously.
F-35s, meanwhile, have shown they can operate as an aerial-tier sensor node able to detect incoming enemy missiles, while the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defenses Sensor (LTAMDS) has demonstrated its ability to track threats and support the land-launch of SM-6 interceptor missiles.
These capabilities are merely a few of the critical elements of IBCS, which is an integrated air and missile defense network. The IBCS system, built by Northrop Grumman, is being upgraded with a new generation of AI-enabled software, and it will head to Guam to help protect U.S. and allied interests in the Pacific theater. Northrop Grumman has received several Department of Defense contracts to integrate the software and bring the system to Guam—but also to support the operation of an IBCS system in Poland.
The deals with Northrop include “$347.6 million dedicated to Poland’s defense initiatives and $133.7 million for the U.S. military and the Guam Defense System,” a Northrop press release stated. “Under this award, Northrop Grumman will lead collaborative efforts with specialists in artificial intelligence (AI) and model-based systems engineering to boost the software development capacity of IBCS.”
Multi-Domain Defense
The concept of operations for IBCS has been clear for many years, but technological advances have allowed the system to expand into a multi-theater, multi-domain missile-defense-based protective envelope that adds sea, air, and space regions to its area of impact. The system consists of a collection of networked nodes that are placed in positions to identify targets and transmit time-sensitive threat details across otherwise disaggregated sensor fields.
An F-35 taxis from the runway onto the flightline after successfully completing a sortie, Dec. 14, 2015, at Luke Air Force Base. The F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced fighter aircraft ever fielded, and is being adopted internationally by the United States and eight partner nations including Norway, Italy, and Australia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ridge Shan)
The amount of nodes, and the domains in which they operate, continues to rapidly expand. Some of the elements known thus far include Patriot missile batteries, Sentinel radar, F-35 stealth fighters, Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles, and the LTAMDS. It also features a ground base-protection system called Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2, as well as a software-defined Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. the AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR.
To consider one operational possibility, a Sentinel radar positioned in one location can pick up an incoming missile threat, establish a track loop on its trajectory and speed, and send that information to a Patriot missile battery or an F-35 in position either to relay the information further throughout the system, or act immediately to destroy the inbound threat.
In development for many years, IBCS relies on advanced software and technical interfaces engineered to enable a smooth exchange of information between otherwise incompatible transport-layer technologies.
Perhaps a Patriot radar identifies the Radio Frequency signal of a threat and transmits target details to a ground-based command-and-control center in position to receive GPS signals from satellites.
The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) transit the Atlantic Ocean March 20, 2021, marking the first time a Ford-class and Italian carrier have operated together underway. As part of the Italian Navy’s Ready for Operations (RFO) campaign for its flagship, Cavour is conducting sea trials in coordination with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office’s Patuxent River Integrated Test Force to obtain official certification to safely operate the F-35B. Gerald R. Ford is conducting integrated carrier strike group operations during independent steaming event 17 as part of her post-delivery test and trials phase of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley McDowell)
Key, time-sensitive information can be exchanged to optimize missile defenses across vast distances throughout a theater of operations.
About the Author: Defense Expert Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
