Data Feed From F-35 Jet Enables Intercept of Cruise Missile in Army Test, Lockheed Martin Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Army deployed an F-35 jet as an elevated sensor platform linked to missile defences in a test featuring the successful intercept of a cruise missile with a PAC-3 interceptor, Northrop Grumman said on Thursday.

"The mid-July US Army flight test marks a first in one flight test – F-35 data contributing to the global track used by the US Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) to live fire a PAC-3", Northrop Grumman said in a press release.

IBCS, developed by Northrop Grumman, used the F-35 data with other contributing sensor data to initiate the launch of the PAC-3 to neutralize the incoming threat, using Hit-to-Kill technology unique to PAC-3 interceptor, the release said.

The test in which a surrogate cruise missile was successfully intercepted took place at the White Sands Missile Range in the US state of New Mexico, the release added.

The IBCS is the centerpiece of the US Army’s modernisation strategy for air and missile defences.  The system is designed to network with multiple sensor platforms, according to Northrop Grumman.