Pentagon selects Northrop Grumman for hypersonic interceptor development

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has chosen Northrop Grumman to design an interceptor intended to defeat hypersonic weapons during their glide phase, as announced on September 25.

MDA director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins revealed earlier this summer that the agency was deciding between Northrop Grumman and Raytheon for the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) project, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Lockheed Martin was initially among three companies selected to work on design concepts for the GPI in November 2021, but by June 2022, the MDA narrowed its focus to Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The decision to select Northrop Grumman was made in collaboration with the Japanese government, which is co-developing the capability.

This selection follows Northrop's recent loss in another MDA competition for the Next-Generation Interceptor, designed to replace components of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System aimed at defending the US from intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Collins indicated that opting for a single vendor before completing the preliminary design review is unusual, but it reflects the MDA's need to make difficult prioritization and resource allocation decisions. He noted that the agency would need to assess design risks and develop corrective actions moving forward.

Northrop Grumman stated that it will refine its preliminary design for the GPI, which is expected to be launched from the US Navy's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense destroyers and Aegis Ashore systems using the Vertical Launch System. The company aims to leverage digital engineering and plans to demonstrate the system's performance in hypersonic environments ahead of the preliminary design review.

Collins described the decision as a pivotal moment for hypersonic glide phase defence. While the US has some capability to track hypersonic threats in the terminal phase, addressing them during the glide phase presents significant challenges due to their unpredictable maneuverability at high speeds.

Although the GPI is crucial, its deployment is not anticipated until around 2035. Defence analyst Tom Karako emphasized the need for an interim terminal interceptor. Additionally, Congress has urged the MDA to expedite its efforts, mandating that the agency achieve full operational capability by the end of 2032 and conduct no fewer than 12 GPI tests by 2029.