US Awards Northrop $475M for Hypersonic Glide Phase Interceptor Design
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded a $475-million contract modification to Northrop Grumman to continue developing and refining its counter-hypersonic Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) design on an accelerated timeline.
The award increases the total contract value from $832.8 million to $1.31 billion, with work expected to be completed by June 2028.
Northrop was selected as the prime contractor for the GPI program in September 2024, excluding Raytheon. Lockheed Martin had already been eliminated from the program in June 2022.
Under an existing Other Transaction Agreement, Northrop is maturing the GPI’s preliminary design and will validate performance in hypersonic environments ahead of its preliminary design review.
In addition, Northrop will collaborate with the MDA and Japan’s Ministry of Defense under the May 2024 US-Japan GPI agreement, with the MDA leading the effort and Tokyo responsible for developing rocket motors and propulsion components.
Glide Phase Interceptor
The GPI is designed to detect, track, and intercept hypersonic threats during the glide phase of flight — when a missile skims the edge of space before reentering the atmosphere, a phase that traditional air defense systems struggle to counter.
The missiles will be fired from the US Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense destroyers and Aegis Ashore using the standard Vertical Launch System.
According to Northrop Grumman, the system will feature a seeker for “threat tracking and hit-to-kill accuracy, a re-ignitable upper-stage engine for threat containment, and a dual engagement mode to operate across a wide range of altitudes.”
The GPI is expected to achieve initial operational capability by the end of 2029, with full operational capability planned in the 2030s.
