Raytheon develops hypersonic missile interceptor

Raytheon started developing projectiles as a defense against hypersonic missiles.

The interceptor is being developed under the United States Missile Defense Agency program.

Raytheon is working on a projectile that will be able to intercept hypersonic missiles during the phase of their approach to the target.

The missile will be integrated into the Combat System of the Baseline 9 version, which is equipped with modern Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

A missile development program that intercepts gliding hypersonic units is called the “Glide Phase Interceptor” (GPI).

Raytheon engineers plan to use components that have already been tested in other missile and hypersonic programs to build the GPI.

Prior to this, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said that the modern U.S. missile defense system “may have problems with effectiveness against promising Russian and Chinese weapons.”

Note that the Pentagon is also implementing the Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) program.

The new projectile is to replace ground interceptors stationed in Alaska and California to protect the United States from ballistic missile attacks by Iran and North Korea.

Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin reached the finals of the tender.

Also, Japanese and U.S. Defense Ministers Yasukazu Hamada and Lloyd Austin agreed on cooperation in the field of defense technology.

Countries are planning joint research to create means to combat hypersonic weapons.