U.S. Missile Defense Agency Selects Northrop Grumman’s Hypersonic Glide Phase Interceptor For Further Development
The United States’ Missile Defense Agency announced on Wednesday that it had selected Northrop Grumman’s hypersonic glide phase interceptor for further development. Continued development of the interceptor will be jointly conducted by the agency, Northrop Grumman, and Japan’s Ministry of Defence.
“Today’s decision represents a turning point for hypersonic glide phase defense,” said Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, MDA Director. “I’m very proud of the entire team including our industry partners, for all the hard work to get to this point. It is also an honor to have Japan as our partner as we move forward on this critical counter-hypersonic capability.”
Northrop Grumman will continue its development under its existing Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), with MDA saying the work is “expected to lead to a follow-on development and production contract in support of achieving the Department of Defense priority requirement of developing integrated layered defeat capabilities to degrade adversaries’ hypersonic weapons.”
MDA is leading the development of glide phase interceptors (GPI) for the Department of Defense, which will provide hypersonic missile defense capability during the glide phase portion of hypersonic flight. In May, MDA and Japan MoD signed a GPI Cooperative Development Project Arrangement, formalizing Japanese involvement in developing and supplying components for the interceptors.
“Japan Ministry of Defense and MDA performed a comprehensive assessment of the GPI missile concepts from the respective perspective and standpoint,” said Dr. Horie Kazuhiro, Vice-Commissioner and Chief Technology Officer of Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), Ministry of Defense, Japan. “I am most pleased with the decision delivered from close discussions between MOD and MDA where both parties had a concurrence on the conclusion of the assessment.”
The Missile Defense Agency began its GPI development efforts in 2021, selecting Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin to develop competing interceptor concepts. In June 2022, the agency exercised options on its agreements with Northrop Grumman and Raytheon to continue development of their GPI.
Both companies’ interceptor concepts were retained throughout the System Requirements Review, with the Agency receiving approval on April 21, 2023 to transition the GPI program from the Material Solutions Analysis phase in the Missile Defense System acquisition process to the Technology Development phase (Milestone A equivalent). The Agency has continued the technology maturation of the two GPI concepts up until Wednesday’s announcement.
In the statement announcing the decision, the Agency added:
“This decision allows MDA and Japan MoD to focus on a solution that meets cost, schedule and performance requirements. Additional risk will be mitigated based on the technical maturity of the design and the technical rigor built into the upfront design and development process.
GPI leverages the current and proven Missile Defense System to deliver an additional, glide-phase layer of regional hypersonic defense and is a tip-to-tail designed system that counters not only today’s threat but also the threat set of 2035.”