The Aegis-class destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) launches an SM-3 Block IA during exercise ‘Stellar Avenger'. (US Navy)
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has selected Northrop Grumman as the prime contractor for development of the agency's Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) system, specifically designed to take out hypersonic weapons.
MDA and their counterparts in Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) selected Northrop Grumman over Raytheon, who had also been vying for the GPI programme.
“This effort is expected to lead to a follow-on development and production contract in support of achieving the Department of Defense (DoD) priority requirement of developing integrated layered defeat capabilities to degrade adversaries' hypersonic weapons,” MDA officials said in a 25 September statement announcing the deal.
Programme officials at the agency received technology development phase approval, similar to Milestone A approval in the Pentagon acquisition process, for the GPI programme in April.
“MDA is confident of this decision based on the GPI concept's technology maturity, high fidelity model performance predictions, detailed technical maturation plans, and industry-provided cost and schedule proposals,” the officials added.
The MDA deal will cover continued platform development work, focused on “refining the preliminary design of the GPI” developed by Northrop Grumman under an other transactional agreement (OTA) issued in November 2021, according to a 25 September company statement. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin were also awarded OTA contracts for initial GPI development in 2021.
Once mature, the GPI will be capable of eliminating hypersonic weapons threats during the glide phase portion of the weapon's flightpath. The decision to focus on the glide phase for intercept was made because “it gives you a broader area of defence and makes that terminal phase a little bit easier”, MDA director Vice Admiral John Hill said in March.
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