In the coming months, the US Army will receive an initial batch of 16 Indirect Fire Protection Capability INC 2 #EnduringShield launchers & AIM-9X II missiles. These organically IBCS compatible launchers will be the Cruise Missile Defense component of Army's IAMD system.
Once fielded, they will be on the Army's Integrated Fire Control Network, using relays to extend coverage area. Together with PATRIOT launchers, #LTAMDS & Sentinel A4 radars, they will be part of a broader layered missile defense architecture operating on a shared C2 & network.
Enduring Shield kinetic launchers will be networked with the Directed Energy components of IFPC. Currently, the Army is fabricating the first 4 300kW High Energy Laser systems to support CRAM, UAS, and Cruise Missile missions. IFPC-HPM is adding a High Power Microwave DE layer.
The Army is bringing in dollars and not just talking about recapitalizing its SHORAD capability through MSHORAD and IFPC efforts. In its FY-2024 budget, for example, the Army has requested 24 Enduring Shield launchers & associated missiles and 12 Sentinel A4 radars.
Army chose the Enduring Shield solution via a competition that pitted it against the Iron Dome's Tamir based solution. Enduring Shield is a 360 degree capable multi-mission launcher that is C2 agnostic & organically capable of operating on the Army's fire control network #IFCN.
IFPC's block 1 equips IFPC units with Sentinel A4 radars, ES launchers, and IBCS EOCs at a rate of approximately 1 BN a year. It addresses subsonic CMs & G-3 UAS. In parallel, the Army will competitively acquire a blk 2 missile optimized against supersonic CMs & larger rockets.
When will all this come together? Some of the initial 16 #EnduringShield launchers ordered in FY-21 as part of the R&D will, post tests, transition to equipping the first IFPC Inc. 2 unit. This will enable EOC. FY24 funds the first full battalion that will be operational in FY26.
Army's FY24 ask funds 24 ES launchers or approximately 2/3 of the first full IFPC Inc 2 BN's hardware which is the balance after FY23 EOC deliveries. The program then ramps up to acquiring 47 launchers in FY25 and then switches to buying 50+ launchers/yr for the forceable future.
The IFPC Inc 2 effort is bringing together a family of systems & capabilities that will sit below the Army's PATRIOT capability. This includes:
🔸Interim Iron Dome
🔸IFPC Inc 2 Blk 1 (AIM-9X)
🔸IFPC High Energy Laser (300kw)
🔸IFPC HPM
🔸IFPC Inc 2 Blk 2 (2nd interceptor)
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.