Lockheed Martin to Upgrade U.S. Missile Defense System’s Command & Control Capability

Today’s battlespace is the most contested since the Cold War.  Offensive missile systems with maturing sophistication from rogue states pose a growing threat to the U.S. Helping the U.S. counter these threats is the Command, Control, Battle Management & Communications (C2BMC) system, the integrating element of the U.S. Missile Defense System.

To strengthen C2BMC’s capability, the Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a $157 million contract to augment C2BMC’S engagement support capability for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system that protects the U.S. from long-range ballistic missile attacks. The GMD system includes silo-based interceptors, connections to sensors on land and sea, distributed fire control and launch support systems.

Currently, the GMD system engages a threat using the best single source data from multiple radars. The next upgrade to C2BMC, called Spiral 8.2-7, will provide GMD with a single, real-time, composite picture of threat system tracks by correlating and fusing data from a broader set of sensors, including satellites, ground- and ship-based radars. Once the spiral upgrade is complete, the GMD system will see the same battlespace picture currently seen by combatant commanders. Additionally, Spiral 8.2-7 will also enable C2BMC to report hypersonic threat activity onto the Link 16 military tactical data link network and display to the operators.

“C2BMC is a 21st century battle management system, with a global infrastructure capable of supporting many different types of missions. As customers look for innovations to advance joint all-domain operations, they can look to C2BMC,” said Mark Johnson, Director of Missile Defense Solutions for Lockheed Martin.

Fielded in 2004, C2BMC is one of the first operationally deployed Multi-Domain Systems, integrating systems and sensors operating in space, on land and at sea. This network operates 24/7 to support real-world operations at more than 30 locations around the world, including U.S. Strategic, Northern, European, Indo-Pacific, Space and Central Commands.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.