Missile Defense Agency

Supporting Efforts

Missile Defense Integration & Operations Center

 

IOC Fact Sheet (PDF*)

 

The Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center (IOC) is critical to the development, integration and test, deployment and operation of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

The IOC is the nation's premier center for missile defense integration, and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) uses the IOC to support the development of the Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) element. C2BMC ties all the missile defense elements into a single, multi-layered BMDS.

It is also the responsibility of MDA activities at the IOC to initiate the missile defense operators early on into the missile defense system. This is accomplished through wargames and exercises, providing tools for the warfighters to examine concept of operation and doctrinal issues, and revise their requirements for the operational system. In addition, operators are included within the system tests (both ground and flight) that are controlled from the IOC.

The IOC was established as the National Test Facility in 1988 by the Missile Defense Agency, known then as the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. It was originally the center for missile defense research centers in a geographically distributed testbed. Although these network connections still provide a core and essential capability, the IOC has expanded its mission areas significantly. Today the Center's support of missile defense spans the entire spectrum of the acquisition process, from requirements definition to development, acquisition, system testing, and finally deployment and operational support. The IOC is also the place where ballistic missile defense architectures, key technologies and concepts of operation are closely examined for integration and interoperability via a digital simulation framework.

The IOC maintains state-of-the-art computer hardware and software tied together through a communications and network hub with other missile defense activities. More than 100 military and civilian representatives from the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force support missile defense offices and missions within the IOC. A contractor team of more than 1300 personnel supports the government staff. The contractor team is made up of a prime contractor and more than 25 sub-contractors. This gives the IOC a significant depth of expertise in solving a wide array of missile defense related issues.

The United States has increased its resolve to develop and deploy missile defense systems for our nation, our forward-deployed forces, and our friends and allies. Missile-defense cooperation is a feature of U.S. relations with close, long-standing allies. As a result, MDA has increased its international focus hosting a wide variety of multi-national wargames, to look into international and coalition missile defense issues, at the IOC. Representatives from more than 95 nations have come to the IOC or leveraged IOC capabilities to explore opportunities for joint and combined missile defense related work.

The Missile Defense Agency continues to use the IOC in the critical role of ensuring the developing missile defense system becomes, and remains, integrated with the interoperability necessary to create a safer, more secure world.

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