The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) has declared full operational capability (FOC) with its Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS)-enabled Wisła medium-range air defence system, IBCS developer Northrop Grumman announced on 18 December 2025.
Poland has thus become the first US NATO ally to fully operationalise IBCS, with Polish crews trained and certified to operate the system. The milestone “significantly enhancing NATO’s eastern flank with advanced, integrated air defense capabilities”, Northrop Grumman stated.
Declaration of FOC with the Wisła system follows on from the first live-fire operational exercising of Poland’s IBCS, which was conducted during the ‘Iron Defender’ exercise at in Ustka, held from 12–19 September 2025.
A US Army programme of record, IBCS connects sensors and effectors never originally designed to work together into one command-and-control system, empowering operational commanders to make real-time battle decisions by selecting the best weapon to defeat the threat. Wider NATO adoption of IBCS enables higher levels of interoperability and true joint and coalition force multi-domain integration, enabling real-time multi-nation threat tracking and strengthening collective air defences across allied territories.
Now combat ready, Poland’s Wisła programme features two IBCS-enabled adapted Patriot sensors and launchers capable of detecting and engaging threats such as missiles and aircraft through multi-sensor data fusion.
The next phase of the Wisła programme will expand IBCS to include eight batteries of adapted Patriot equipment, incorporating additional launchers, interceptors and advanced radars to deliver a comprehensive, national-scale air and missile defence capability.
Polish industry will continue to have a significant role in the programme, to include greater local assembly, maintenance and production contributions, enhancing Poland’s self-reliance while boosting the potential for defence exports to international partners, Northrop Grumman noted.
“Poland’s declaration of full operational capability for IBCS showcases our ability to deliver interoperable defence solutions at scale with Poland, the US and allies,” Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager for command and control and weapons integration at Northrop Grumman, was quoted as saying in a press release. “As a cutting-edge solution for integrated air and missile defense, IBCS continuously enhances its capabilities with innovative, unified, and cost-effective approaches to meet global air and missile defence demands. This milestone provides advanced capabilities to effectively address complex threats, made possible through our strong collaboration with Polish industry and Northrop Grumman.”
