Americas
Northrop Grumman has opened a new facility in Madison, Alabama, to increase the production of crucial Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) components. The facility, named the Enhanced Production and Integration Center (EPIC), will integrate technological and digital advancements in the process to support the US Army’s accelerated modernization plan for air and missile defense. With 175,500 square feet (16,304 square meters) of production space, EPIC can manufacture up to 96 Engagement Operation Centers (EOCs), 96 Integrated Collaborative Environments (ICEs), and 192 Integrated Fire Control Network (IFCN) relays annually.
The Air Force is still a few years away from getting its hands on its first E-7 aircraft for airborne early warning and control, but the service is already seeking industry input on new systems to either enhance or replace the sensor capabilities of the Wedgetail—or possibly even acquire new capabilities for an entirely different targeting and battle management platform. The plan is to start an engineering and manufacturing effort in fiscal 2027, around the same time as the first E-7 gets delivered.
Middle East & Africa
Asia-Pacific
Japan’s Defense Ministry announced that its fleet of MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft temporarily stationed at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Kisarazu base in Chiba Prefecture will begin relocating to the new Saga base on Jul. 9th, with the transfer expected to be completed by mid-August. Defense Ministry’s North Kanto Defense Bureau Chief Hirohisa Mori informed Kisarazu Mayor Yoshikuni Watanabe of the relocation plan during a visit on April 15.