Northrop and Raytheon’s Next Generation Interceptor Program Completes System Requirements Review

Northrop Grumman announced that the Next Generation Interceptor it is designing in partnership with Raytheon Technologies has passed the Missile Defense Agency’s system requirements review.

According to Northrop’s website, the NGI program is aimed at developing a system capable of detecting an enemy missile launch, determining its trajectory and shooting it down.

The system requirements review was completed ahead of schedule and serves as the first major technical review of the NGI program, Northrop said.

Northrop added that the NGI team will proceed with initial system design, further risk reduction testing and critical qualification activities.

Tay Fitzgerald, vice president of strategic missile defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense and a member of the Potomac Officers Club, said that Raytheon has successfully conducted 47 missile intercepts in space.

“Our digital system design approach gives us high confidence in our solution going into the preliminary design review,” Fitzgerald added.

Scott Lehr, vice president and general manager of launch and missile defense systems at Northrop, said the program will benefit from his company’s two decades of experience working on the current Ground-Based Interceptor.

The NGI team will take advantage of high-fidelity model-based systems engineering and hardware manufacturing, according to Northrop.

The company added that the team is conducting internally funded risk reduction hardware development and testing to ensure the system’s timely deployment.

Raytheon announced the risk reduction hardware development in early December. In a press release, Raytheon said the effort involved the demonstration of the thruster valve and nozzle on a liquid propellant divert and attitude control system designed by Aerojet Rocketdyne.