Plug-and-fight is the military equivalent of plug and play[1] as applied to commercial and personal computer systems. Plug-and-fight refers to the capability of certain large military systems such as the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS)[2] to automatically recognize and assemble various system elements, like sensors, weapons, and control nodes, into a single integrated supersystem or system-of-systems. Plug-and-fight systems can be rapidly reconfigured without interrupting operations – adding, removing, and rearranging system elements in response to evolving threats and changing defense strategies. The architecture of such modular systems is often described as netted-distributed. Sensors, shooters, and tactical operations centers (TOC) simply act as nodes on the network, and a military commander can dynamically add or subtract these elements as the situation dictates without shutting the system down.

Plug-and-fight system elements connect to an open wired or wireless communication network through a standardized interface, and have the ability to interact with other system elements on that network to accomplish specific combat objectives. To maximize product applicability, and to ensure the general acceptance of system developers, any plug-and-fight standardized interface should be based on protocols and standards that are widely recognized, well defined, strongly controlled, and non-proprietary. Modern examples include Ethernet, IP, TCP, CORBA, and any specific message structure that can be freely disseminated and used without licensing.

MEADS was the first system to use standardized integrated Air and Missile Defense protocols. It was designed with plug-and-fight capabilities to support data exchange with external sensors and launchers through standardized open protocols for integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), so that MEADS elements can interoperate with allied forces on the move, attaching to and detaching from the battle management network as necessary.[3] In November 2011, MEADS system elements successfully performed a simulated engagement against real-world air and representative missile threats demonstrating plug-and-fight capabilities.[4]

The US Army Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) is in development since 2004. It is part of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) program, which aims to create an integrated network of air defense sensors and missile launchers using a suite of open standardized protocols.[5] IBCS control stations will replace engagement control stations (ECS) in Patriot missile system, along with seven other forms of ABM defense command systems.[6][7][8][9] Supported sensors will include AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel and AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR,[10] AN/MPQ-53, AN/MPQ-65/65A and GhostEye (LTAMDS) in Patriot missile system,[11] GhostEye MR in NASAMS, MFCR and SR in MEADS, AN/TPY-2 in Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)[12] and Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD),[11] AN/SPY-1 and AN/SPY-6 in Aegis BMD,[13] and AN/APG-81 in Lockeed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[14] This network of sensors will be controlled by IBCS engagement control stations[15] which will be able to take fine control of army-fielded air-defense systems like Patriot and THAAD, directing radar positioning and suggesting recommended launchers, while naval, aerial and Marine systems will only be able to share either radar tracks or raw radar data with the IBCS network.[11] The Army requires all new missiles and air-defense systems to implement IBCS support.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Plug and Fight for Missile Might." Military-advanced-education.com. http://www.military-advanced-education.com/mit-archives/129-mit-2007-volume-11-issue-5/1160-plug-and-fight-for-missile-might.html. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  2. ^ “Plug-and-Fight.” http://meads-amd.com/about-meads/
  3. ^ [1] Archived January 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ “MEADS Demonstrates Advanced Plug-and-Fight Capabilities in Integration Test.” http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2011/november/MEADSDemonstratesAdvanced.html
  5. ^ Theresa Hitchens (11 Aug 2021) JROC's Next Target: 'Integrated Air & Missile Defense'
  6. ^ "Army Seeks To Field One-Size-Fits-All Battle Command System". Space News. 29 June 2004.
  7. ^ Kiley, Gregory T. (17 May 2017). "Congress and the Administration Must Reassess Failing Missile Defense Programs". RealClearDefense. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Fort Sill Tribune staff (August 8, 2019) MOS 14E: Linchpin of Patriot missile system".
  9. ^ "Jen Judson (11 Oct 2018) So Patriot and THAAD will talk. What does that really mean?". 10 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Army's IBCS passed F-35 sensor data to artillery system at Project Convergence 21". 20 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. Army IBCS: Joint, Up To A Point. Breaking Defense. 15 May 2020
  12. ^ Jen Judson (27 March 2019) Army debuts missile defense framework in move to counter drones, hypersonic threats
  13. ^ Tyler Rogoway. Here’s What The Army’s Long-Awaited Super Air Defense Network Can Actually Do. The Warzone. October 29, 2020
  14. ^ Jen Judson (6 August 2019) F-35 talks to US Army's missile command system, says Lockheed
  15. ^ Jen Judson (20 August 2019) US Missile Defense Agency boss reveals his goals, challenges on the job
  16. ^ Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. New Missiles Must Work With IBCS Network: Bruce Jette (Exclusive). Breaking Defense. March 09, 2020
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