PAC-3 played a pivotal role in this month’s Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) flight tests for one of the U.S. Army’s foremost modernization priorities – the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).
During a flight test on March 12 at White Sands Missile Range, a PAC-3 CRI missile intercepted a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) target, further demonstrating PAC-3’s proven integration with IBCS and helping pave the way for the battle command system to achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC).
In today’s joint all-domain operations (JADO) environment, connectivity and integration is more important than ever before to ensure those in the field get the information they need quickly and accurately so they can respond. Testing those integrations is key too so our customers know the systems are going to work in the field, every time, when it matters most.
“The battlefield has changed significantly and is more advanced than ever before, which means we also must continue to evolve and ensure integration with the newest command system technology to stay ahead of threats around the world,” said Brenda Davidson, vice president, PAC-3 Programs. “We are proud to have played a pivotal role in this month’s tests to further demonstrate the versatility and unmatched technology that PAC-3 brings to our customers.”
PAC-3 has successfully demonstrated integration with other systems as well. In July 2021, a U.S. Army flight test marked the first time F-35 data contributed to the global track used by IBCS to live fire a PAC-3 in one flight test.
In addition, in a test last month, the THAAD Weapon System launched a PAC-3 MSE interceptor against a virtual threat, demonstrating the successful integration of the PAC-3 MSE interceptor into the THAAD system. Once fully integrated, customers around the world will be able to take advantage of even more capabilities to protect and defend their people and infrastructure.
“It’s exciting to see how we are using PAC-3, which has been around for decades, in new and exciting ways to ensure those facing threats can continue to make the most of our combat-proven interceptors,” Davidson added.