Oct 2, 2024 - Technology

Northrop gets green light for hypersonic interceptor

Colin Demarest

An artist's rendering of the Glide Phase Interceptor. It flies through the sky during sunset. Fire ejects from the bottom. — The Glide Phase Interceptor, mocked up here. Photo: Courtesy of Northrop Grumman

The U.S. and Japan are moving forward with hypersonic missile defense, selecting Northrop Grumman to further develop the Glide Phase Interceptor, meant to knock down attacks as they skirt through Earth's atmosphere.

Why it matters: Hypersonic weapons are widely feared for their speed — at least Mach 5, traveling miles in seconds — and maneuverability.

Both factors complicate the already difficult and pricey task of overhead interdiction.

What they're saying: "GPI is really a first-of-its-kind system designed to counter hypersonic missile threats," Mike Pinkston, Northrop's vice president of launch vehicles, told Axios in an exclusive interview.

"We have a seeker that enables hit-to-kill accuracy, which is a real distinct advantage."

Zoom in: The GPI endeavor involves the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Japan's defense ministry. It will eventually launch from Aegis ballistic missile defense destroyers and Aegis Ashore systems.

"It's purpose-built," Pinkston said. "And what I mean by that is we really optimized this design to fill the specific role that MDA is looking for."

Between the lines: Advancing a single vendor so early in development is unusual, Defense News reported.

Northrop bested RTX for the deal.
While issuing a contract is "a big step forward," Masao Dahlgren, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told me, "downselecting so early in the development process adds risk — if any delays come up, there won't be a competing design to choose."

The bottom line: This is a win for the Washington-Tokyo relationship.

Go deeper: U.S. and Japan buddy up on Patriot missile production

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Northrop gets green light for hypersonic interceptor

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