Interim Selection as Enduring Solution Evolves

Northrop Grumman’s Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system has been selected by the US DoD as the interim command and control system for future Counter-Small Unmanned Aerial System (C-sUAS) procurements, the company announced on 8 July.

The decision follows the findings of a service board established by the DOD’s joint C-sUAS office to evaluate and provide an order-of-merit list for ‘best-of-breed’ systems to counter small drones. The down-select board consisted of representatives from the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Special Operations Command, as well as senior representatives from the acquisition, technical, operational and other communities. FAAD C2 will serve as the current joint common C-sUAS C2 platform while an enduring solution is developed.

“Our FAAD C2 has been saving lives at Forward Operating Bases and locations around the world since 2005,” stated Kenn Todorov, VP & General Manager, Combat Systems and Mission Readiness at Northrop Grumman. “FAAD C2 continuously evolves to defend against new threats like small unmanned aerial systems and will continue to be the gold standard for protection of our troops whether stationed at bases or on the move.”

FAAD C2 is a battle-proven C2 system, deployed in several theatres of operation for the C-UAS and Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) missions for its proven performance and flexibility, enabling easy integration with available sensors, effectors and warning systems to launch rapid, real-time defence against short range and manoeuvring threats. It also has been selected as the C2 system for the Army’s Initial Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) platforms. FAAD-C2 is built on the open architecture common to the Northrop Grumman all-domain C4I solution ecosystem and will ultimately converge into the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).