New Fire Control Framework Supports Evolving Counter-UAS Demands

Anduril Industries has been selected by the U.S. Army for the Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver (IBCS-M) program, establishing the company’s Lattice platform as the Army’s next-generation fire control system for Counter-UAS (C-UAS) missions.

The IBCS-M program addresses the challenge posed by modern battlefields, which can be defined by the speed and saturation of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) capable of swarming defenses. Current command and control systems were not designed to process the necessary data or execute kill-chain decisions fast enough to stop these autonomous, distributed attacks.

IBCS-M is designed to provide the command, control, and integration backbone for various counter-drone systems, allowing a single operator to manage multiple threats simultaneously. The platform works by fusing sensor data, automating fire control, and integrating new capabilities, which reduces operator load and compresses the time required from detection to defeat.

Anduril recently demonstrated the Lattice platform’s capabilities at Yuma Proving Grounds in a seven-day trial. During the demonstration, Lattice integrated a previously undisclosed sensor and effector within hours, executed live-fire intercepts that resulted in four out of four kills, and showcased advanced features such as autonomy-enhanced fire control, distributed tracking, and kill-chain optimization.

Alex Miller, CTO of the US Army, highlighted the need for adaptability in C-UAS systems, stating, “We can’t think of counter-UAS as static or in the same vein as counter ballistic missile defense. It has to be maneuverable which means it has to be software-centric and adaptable above all else.

“We can’t wait a year for a new sensor or effector to be integrated and we can’t tell our deployed soldiers that we have to wait for an FSR to solve the problem. It has to support a platoon leader on the move with many small sensors across many vehicles as much as it has to support a forward operating base or garrison commander using a mix of existing and emerging systems.”

The IBCS-M effort is part of a wider modernization push by the Army to redefine how it commands the fight. The initiative aims to move past legacy systems built for a more predictable era, demanding infrastructure that is open, extensible, and capable of evolving rapidly.

“We’re uniquely positioned to deliver on the Army’s vision because Anduril helped define the new frontier of air defense technology,” said Matt Steckman, President and Chief Business Officer of Anduril Industries. “Our work in autonomous systems and command and control has built the foundation for this moment — it’s a natural extension of the lineage that began when we reimagined how modern defense should operate.”

Anduril and the Army are working to build a unified command and control ecosystem designed to translate data into a decision advantage, ensuring U.S. forces can act faster in the era of autonomy.