EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. (November 22, 2023) – In a collaborative effort to safeguard military assets from the growing threat of hypersonic missiles, two major U.S. military prime contractors, Northrop Grumman Corp. and Raytheon Technologies Corp. (RTX), are advancing a groundbreaking project. The initiative, known as the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI), aims to counter hypersonic missiles in their most vulnerable phase of flight.
Missile-defense experts from Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies will further refine the GPI concept during the technology development phase, building on their collaborative efforts that commenced in late 2021.
The GPI system is designed to provide regional hypersonic missile defense by deploying specially modified missiles from U.S. Navy surface warships. These missiles will engage and destroy incoming hypersonic threats as they traverse the boundary between space and Earth’s atmosphere. Hypersonic missiles, capable of reaching speeds faster than Mach 5 (nearly 4,000 miles per hour), pose a significant challenge to traditional defense systems.
The contract orders, totaling $105 million, have been distributed between the Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems segment in Chandler, Ariz. ($52.5 million) and the RTX Raytheon segment in Tucson, Ariz. ($52.5 million). Both companies will continue to refine the GPI concept during the technology development phase.
The GPI interceptor, once operational, will be deployed from the vertical launch systems aboard Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Its mission is to intercept hypersonic missiles during their glide phase of flight, filling the strategic gap between the existing Navy SM-3 and SM-6 missiles, which engage enemy missiles at various stages of their flights.
The prototypes of the GPI system will be seamlessly integrated into the current Aegis ballistic missile defense system, utilizing naval vessels’ vertical launching systems. This innovative approach involves the development of new interceptors and modifications to the Aegis weapon system to facilitate their launch.
Northrop Grumman will conduct the assigned work in multiple locations, including Chandler, Ariz.; Colorado Springs and Boulder, Colo.; Huntsville, Ala.; San Diego; and Linthicum, Md. Raytheon will contribute from Tucson, Ariz.; El Dorado Hills, Calif.; Aurora, Colo.; Tewksbury, Woburn, and Andover, Mass.; McKinney, Texas; and Huntsville, Ala. The ambitious project is expected to be completed by February 2025, marking a crucial step forward in enhancing the nation’s defense capabilities against evolving missile threats.
For more information contact Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems online, RTX Raytheon, or the Missile Defense Agency.
