Northrop, Raytheon to Continue Developing first-of-its-kind Counter-Hypersonic Missile

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded modification contracts to Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman to continue developing hypersonic weapons interceptors, while Lockheed Martin was left out of the competition.

Each contract to develop the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) is worth around $41.5 million, bringing the total contract value thus far to around $61 million each.

The MDA had chosen three companies – Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman – in November 2021 to design the GPI. This modification is a follow-on to the initial 2021 award under MDA’s OT Agreement which entailed an accelerated concept design for a GPI prototype.

GPI is a defensive hypersonic weapon designed to take out adversary hypersonic missiles as they glide through the Earth’s upper atmosphere at about 70km in altitude at speeds greater than Mach 5. It will be guided by a constellation of satellites and sensors.

The counter-hypersonic missile will intercept hypersonic weapons in the glide phase of flight, which occurs once a missile has re-entered Earth's atmosphere and is maneuvering toward its target. The initial development phase will focus on reducing technical risk, rapidly developing technology, and demonstrating the ability to intercept a hypersonic threat.

Developed on behalf of the MDA, GPI will be integrated into the U.S. Navy's Aegis Weapon System, a ship- and shore-based defense system. The interceptors will be fired from its standard Vertical Launch System and integrated with the modified Baseline 9 Aegis Weapon System that detects, tracks, controls and engages hypersonic threats.