The US Army will begin production of the IFPC Increment 2 system in 2026

 

IFPC Inc 2

The U.S. Army plans to begin production of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 mobile air defense system in early 2026, with initial operational availability by mid-2027. This system is designed to protect key military installations and infrastructure from a wide range of aerial threats, including subsonic cruise missiles, drones (UAS), as well as rocket, artillery and mortar attacks (RAM).

IFPC Inc 2 fills the critical gap between short-range systems and strategic missile defense capabilities, providing flexible and scalable protection. It includes a Multi-Mission Launcher (MML) mounted on a mobile platform capable of launching various types of interceptors, including the AIM-9X Sidewinder, AGM-114L Hellfire and Israeli Tamir missiles used in the Iron Dome system.

The system integrates with the control architecture of the Army Integrated Air Defense and Missile Defense System (AIAMD) and uses the Sentinel A4 radar, which provides 360-degree detection and high-precision tracking of low-flying and low-visibility targets. The program also includes the development of variants with high-energy lasers and powerful microwave systems as an addition to kinetic interceptors.

Despite the delays in testing, the U.S. Army intends to ensure the deployment of the first IFPC Inc 2 battalion by 2027, including plans to deploy the systems to Guam in the Pacific Ocean. This will significantly increase protection against modern and future aerial threats, especially in the face of the growing threat from hypersonic and cruise missiles.