The U.S. Army has tested its new air defense system that will work to protect soldiers from aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft systems and artillery weapons once it becomes fully developed.
The Army said Monday the Integrated Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-Intercept — a joint project of the service branch’s Cruise Missile Defense Systems Project Office and Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center — was tested at the White Sands Missile Range.
“If you go back and take a look at what has happened in terms of the threat over the last couple years, you’ll find that UAS systems and cruise missiles have really become a problem,” said Col. Terrence Howard, cruise missile defense systems program manager.
“We’re firing the entire kill chain and seeing what the end product looks like as we shoot at unmanned aerial systems and cruise missiles,” he added.
Tamera Adams, chief engineer for cruise missile defense systems projects, said the Army seeks to integrate IFPC Inc 2-I with the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense system, Sentinel radar system and AIM-9X missile.
IFPC Inc 2-I, which is currently in full-featured prototype form, will work to fire multiple missile types in almost any direction through a Multi-Mission Launcher that is mounted on a medium tactical truck and designed to hold 15 missile tubes on a turret system, the Army noted.
The system has so far launched a Hellfire Longbow and a pair of AIM-9X Sidewinders against targets that simulate UAS or cruise missile threats, the service branch added.
The Army said it is scheduled to test IFPC Inc 2-I further to gauge its compatibility with other missiles and systems.
