U.S. Missile Defense Agency Advances Glide Phase Interceptor Development with Northrop Grumman

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation to advance the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) program, a system designed to counter hypersonic missile threats.

The three-year development, conducted in collaboration with the MDA, has resulted in a specialized design aimed at addressing current and future hypersonic threats.

In the next phase, Northrop Grumman will refine the preliminary GPI design, which is intended for deployment from U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense destroyers and Aegis Ashore sites via the Vertical Launch System. The company will also demonstrate the system's performance in hypersonic environments ahead of the Preliminary Design Review. Northrop Grumman plans to complete flight experiments using existing systems, and will apply digital engineering to expedite design processes and develop the interceptor's capabilities more efficiently.

Northrop Grumman’s design includes a seeker for tracking threats, hit-to-kill accuracy, a re-ignitable upper stage engine for threat containment, and dual engagement modes to engage threats at various altitudes.

The company will collaborate with the U.S. and Japan’s Ministry of Defense under the GPI Cooperative Development program to provide interceptors to the MDA.