The US Missile Defense Agency (aka MDA) works on a Glide Interceptor Program (GIP) which have to track hypersonic missiles and kill them whe...
The US Missile Defense Agency (aka MDA) works on a Glide Interceptor Program (GIP) which have to track hypersonic missiles and kill them when they are in the glide phase. During the flight of hypersonic missiles and they re-entered atmosphere of earth, the Glide Interceptor Program should take off them before they reached targets.
In November 2021, Missile Defense Agency selected American defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon for designing the Glide Phase Interceptor, and they received money for the initial development. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon received $20.94 million, $18.95 million, $20.97 million. However, Lockheed Martin eliminated while Raytheon and Northrop Grumman selected to develop hypersonic weapons interceptor program. Each agency received contract value $61 million from the earlier proposed amount about $41.5 million.
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense destroyers that currently used by the US Navy would integrate the interceptors. The standard Vertical Launch System will be combined the Baseline 9 Aegis Weapon System, and it can track, engage and destroy the incoming threats that travel above the speed of sound.
Why to the US seriously concern on hypersonic interceptor program / anti-hypersonic system?
Successful development of hypersonic weapons from Russia and China put US to concern as threat since the US’s hypersonic weapon program still in under development and test stage, and it makes the US far behind its competitors.
China
In July 2021, China tested its Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) which add more threats as it was traveled in space before re-entering the atmosphere about 24,800 miles (approximately 39,911 kilometers) and then hit the target in ground. When it compare Russian hypersonic program, China has the advantage. Also, China claims that it has developed an anti-hypersonic system with Artificial Intelligence.
Russia
Russia has 3 operational hypersonic weapons such as Khinzal, Avangard and Tsirkon. It also plans to integrate the Avangard hypersonic weapon with nuclear-capable Sarmat missile. During the Russian – Ukraine war, Russia successfully fired Kinzhal hypersonic missile and hit targets on Ukraine’s soil, and it became the first country in the world that use a hypersonic missile in combat.
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