The US Army is trying to accelerate the development and deployment of integrated air and missile defense systems, senior officials stated on October 14, 2024.
The army is working to improve the capabilities of existing systems and make air and missile defense systems and parts like PAC-3 and Coyote missiles more powerful. Additionally, they are developing new technologies such as the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense radar, Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2, and the Integrated Battle Command System, which serves as a command and control system for radars and interceptors.
The US Army’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal contains a substantial increase in funding for integrated air and missile defense systems, according to Assistant Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo. Speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference, Camarillo revealed that the $5.6 billion allocation represents a 77 percent rise from the previous year’s budget. The funding will support a comprehensive range of capabilities, including Patriot system modernization, the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), and the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) that coordinates these defense elements.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told reporters at the conference that the service is transitioning to the lower-tier air and missile defense system with an integrated battle management system. “This will significantly enhance the capabilities of the existing Patriot forces we have, and it will help… reduce some of the burden on our soldiers,” she said.
Wormuth and other officials noted that soldiers are operating at a relentless pace, fighting everything from Class 1 drones to cruise missiles in Europe and the Middle East. On October 13, 2024, the U.S. announced it would deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel to bolster defense there, further straining the army’s air and missile defense forces.
According to the Army’s contract announcement, the Army awarded Raytheon Missiles and Defense a $2.1 billion contract on July 31, 2024, for the low-rate initial production of LTAMDS, with an estimated completion date of November 2028. The Government Accountability Office said in its July 2024 annual report on the Department of Defense’s weapons programs that LTAMDS is more than a year behind schedule due to “compatibility issues, software problems, and radar performance during contractor verification testing,” which has “delayed LTAMDS’ five-year transition.”
Similarly, the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 system is also behind schedule, and the army is considering adding an additional interceptor, according to a Congressional Research Service memo from June 27, 2024. If the Army pursues a second interceptor, development will continue into 2029–2030 before low-rate initial production begins.
Despite these setbacks, the service hopes to accelerate the delivery of new air and missile defense technologies, Army Chief of Staff General Randy George told reporters.
According to General Randy George, the Army is actively working to accelerate the development process through prototyping. He emphasized that while the initiative involves significant software development, the Army aims to avoid traditional lengthy testing cycles. General George explained that the service wants to prevent scenarios where equipment spends extended periods at testing ranges and faces additional delays before reaching soldiers’ hands.
Major General Frank Lozano, program executive officer for missiles and space, said on the sidelines of the conference that the aggressive prototyping of air and missile defense programs is now paying off.
The army has fielded four battalions of maneuver short-range air defense and is considering fielding four more, he said.
Lozano reported that the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) achieved a full-rate production milestone in April 2023. He described IBCS as a fundamental element of the Army’s integrated fires architecture. According to Lozano, production is now underway, with plans to equip two battalions annually beginning in 2025.
According to Lozano, the Army is currently evaluating both the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 and the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) through operational assessments at White Sands Missile Range. These programs are progressing toward their Milestone C and low-rate initial production decision, expected in the second quarter of 2025. While acknowledging that the programs have faced various challenges, Lozano expressed satisfaction with how the teams have successfully resolved these issues and with the overall progress of the initiatives.
He stated that China “may attempt to make a move” in the region by the end of the decade, prompting the gradual deployment of the systems to Guam, where air and missile defense is a priority.
Lozano indicated that while there is no strict deployment schedule, the Army envisions a gradual implementation of capabilities within the Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility, specifically to enhance Guam’s defense architecture. He stated that the Army plans to deploy the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) and the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) to Guam in the upcoming years.
According to Lozano, the Army aims to have the complete defensive architecture in place by 2030, enabling the protection of both Guam and surrounding islands as necessary.