U.S. Army picks Anduril Lattice for Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver counter-drone role.

The US Army has selected Anduril Industries to lead the Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver (IBCS-M) effort, putting the company’s Lattice software at the core of mobile air and missile defense command for counter-drone operations. The move signals a shift toward software-centric, open architectures that can integrate new sensors and effectors in hours, not years, as the Army races to keep up with swarming unmanned aircraft and compressed decision cycles.

In a decision that puts software at the center of ground maneuver air defense, the US Army has chosen Anduril’s Lattice platform as the fire-control and command backbone for its Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver program, or IBCS-M. The selection, announced in a November 10 press release, transforms Lattice into the Army’s next-generation core for counter-unmanned aircraft system missions, integrating dispersed sensors, effectors, and command nodes into a single open architecture designed to withstand drone swarms, electronic attacks, and constant technological advancements.
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IBCS-M provides the infrastructure that allows units on the move to employ distributed sensors, handle high data volumes, and activate faster kill chains than older systems (Picture source: US DoD)

Within this program, Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver (IBCS-M) serves as the mobile layer of the broader Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), which aims to link sensors, effectors, and decision centers within a single open architecture. Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) addresses the need to replace compartmentalized legacy fire-control networks with a unified system capable of bringing detection and engagement closer together. In that context, IBCS-M provides the infrastructure that allows units on the move to employ distributed sensors, handle high data volumes, and activate faster kill chains than older systems. Lattice is positioned at the center of this evolution, integrating multi-sensor processing, track management, and automated fire control in one environment.

During a demonstration at Yuma Proving Grounds, Lattice integrated an undisclosed sensor and effector within hours and completed four successful intercepts out of four attempts. The ability to incorporate a new system so quickly underscores the software-driven nature of the platform, a clear departure from the year-long integration cycles described by program officials. Lattice operates as a decentralized mesh network capable of absorbing local link outages and maintaining operational continuity even when radio pathways are degraded. This design allows each node to share tracks, contribute to data fusion, and relay fire-control instructions without relying on a single vulnerable hub.

The technical elements highlighted by Anduril describe an operational environment shaped by the proliferation of small drones, often low-flying or with reduced signatures, requiring multi-sensor fusion and immediate prioritization. Lattice processes data streams continuously, optimizes kill chains, and reallocates computing loads across nodes to avoid bottlenecks. This enables decision-making closer to the point of engagement, particularly when the system relies on low-power tactical radars, passive sensors, or short-range effectors intended to counter targets operating a few hundred meters above ground level. The press release also notes the ability of Lattice to handle several threats simultaneously, a requirement when confronted by coordinated drone groups.

Anduril also emphasizes the doctrinal transition underway within the US Army, which aims to shape its command structure around an open and adaptable framework that evolves at the pace set by autonomous systems. The IBCS-M program is presented not as a stand-alone solution but as a pivot toward a coherent command environment built around data and the ability to observe, decide, and respond ahead of an opponent. Matt Steckman, an executive of the company, notes that this shift builds directly on Anduril’s work in autonomy and distributed operations, extending a line of developments designed for a fluid battlefield.

In a strategic environment marked by the rapid spread of tactical drones and autonomous swarms, the adoption of a mobile and fully open C-UAS architecture by US forces is likely to influence the choices of allied militaries. NATO partners and several Indo-Pacific countries, exposed to similar dynamics, will monitor the performance of IBCS-M and the operational feedback from trials conducted under contested conditions. The integration of a platform like Lattice into maneuver command structures points to a broader movement toward tactical networks able to withstand complex electronic attacks, indicating heightened competition around distributed architectures, passive sensors, and short-notice counter-drone capabilities.