The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will proceed with Northrop Grumman for the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) program, the first-of-its-kind countermeasure against hypersonic missile threats. 

According to the company, working in close partnership with MDA, the three-year developmental effort produced a purpose-built, innovative design capable of neutralising existing and emerging hypersonic threats.

Also read: US Air Force | Selects Raytheon and Northrop Grumman to deliver First Hypersonic Air-Breathing Missile

During this next phase of development, Northrop Grumman will:

• Continue to refine the preliminary design of the GPI, which will fire from the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence destroyers and Aegis Ashore using the standard Vertical Launch System.
• Demonstrate system performance in hypersonic environments prior to conducting its Preliminary Design Review.
• Complete flight experiments ahead of schedule leveraging the company’s own flight-proven systems.
• Use digital engineering practices to connect the entire GPI program to accelerate design processes and develop interceptor capabilities faster and more efficiently.

Northrop Grumman’s design includes advanced technologies, such as a seeker for threat tracking and hit-to-kill type of target engagement, a re-ignitable upper-stage engine used for threat containment, and a dual engagement mode to engage threats across a wide range of altitudes.

Northrop Grumman will work closely with the United States in support of its role under the GPI Cooperative Development program with the Japan Ministry of Defense to deliver interceptors to the MDA.

Also read: USAF | Selection of Northrop Grumman for Phase 2 of the Stand-in Attack Weapon