Defense against Hypersonic Glide Vehicles

[Scott Kenny]

MDA saying hypersonic missiles difficult to counter due to their ability to maneuver in flight though they are planning to field a new version of the SM-6 in the interim before the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) reaches operational capability in 2032. Would be correct in assuming that driving the GPI requirement to be a big and very expensive missile with a range of approx. 1,000 miles?

Every analysis of intercepting HGVs I've seen says that the launcher needs to be within about 10km of the target to be able to make the interception AT ALL.

So either you have a relatively small number of expensive super long range missile that can pop the hypersonics while they're out of the atmosphere and unable to maneuver, or you have an enormous number of individually relatively cheap point defense missiles. Both alternatives are expensive as total programs.

I had an idea for a drone that was pretty fast climbing and pretty fast in general (basically a cross between an F104 and a D21 drone with a couple of PAC3s on it or similar), just so you might be able to get away with basing the interceptors ~180km away from the objects to be protected. 2 minutes to climb to interception altitude and accelerate to M2.9+, 3 minutes to get over the defended area. But the interception geometry works out to needing to launch that drone when the HGV is ~1800km away!

 

[Forest Green]

Every analysis of intercepting HGVs I've seen says that the launcher needs to be within about 10km of the target to be able to make the interception AT ALL.

Without knowing the missile or target HGV that analysis isn't too helpful.

 

[sferrin]

Real answer is to intercept at mid-stage or earlier. Anything past that would be playing to the missile’s advantage.

Depends on the glide vehicle. Some start gliding WAY out. The problem is much like Boost Phase Intercept if you're not going after the glider.

 

[Forest Green]

Major progress repored in Next-Gen OPIR Missile Warning Program

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 01, 2024 - Space Systems Command (SSC) has reached a significant milestone with the successful delivery of the first mission payload for the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) sensing

www.spacewar.com

 

[Forest Green]

SDA demos laser links crucial for future SATCOM, missile tracking network - Breaking Defense

Tournear said that the optical intersatellite link demonstration was final success in a trifecta of baseline challenges to SDA's plan to network hundreds of military satellites in LEO, as well as to eventually to integrate commercial satellites into the mix.

breakingdefense.com

 

[bobbymike]

Glide Phase Interceptor | Northrop Grumman

Glide Phase Interceptor is designed to detect, track, control, and engage hypersonic threats in the glide phase of the missile’s flight.

www.northropgrumman.com

 

[Forest Green]

Glide Phase Interceptor | Northrop Grumman

Glide Phase Interceptor is designed to detect, track, control, and engage hypersonic threats in the glide phase of the missile’s flight.

www.northropgrumman.com

From link:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1g-58CLtKk

 

[Josh_TN]

Glidebreaker looks like it is itself a biconical glider.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Glidebreaker looks like it is itself a biconical glider.

I mean, that is one of the simpler shapes for the speeds involved.

 

[Forest Green]

Space Force grants Northrop Grumman $1.8B to build missile warning birds for polar orbit​

Millennium Space Systems secures contract for additional Missile Track Custody satellites​

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/the-us-space-force.30157/post-721171

 

[zjz]

Confronting the Hypersonic Threat Demands a United Front | Aviation Week Network

Hypersonic missile defense requires global cooperation. L3Harris is leading the charge through strategic international partnerships in space-based MW/MD technologies.

aviationweek.com

 

[Forest Green]

Related and interesting:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aeIkDhxSWE

 

[Forest Green]

Sierra Space completes PDR for Missile Tracking Satellites

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 13, 2024 - Sierra Space has announced the successful completion of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for missile warning and tracking satellites under a significant $740 million contract with the Space Devel

www.spacewar.com

 

[Forest Green]

Think fast: A missile-defense system built for speed

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 16, 2024 - Satellites positioned high above Earth transmit crucial data to the surface in under a second, appearing swiftly on a computer screen monitored by a U.S. Space Force operator. The operator's swift u

www.spacewar.com

 

[Forest Green]

Canada, Australia jointly pledge $474M to research hypersonic missile defense tech - Breaking Defense

The announcement was made at the start of the annual Halifax International Security Forum, Canada's premiere defense event.

breakingdefense.com

 

[TAOG]

Shyu: DOD developed, deployed classified counter-hypersonic capabilities | InsideDefense.com

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The U.S. military rapidly developed and deployed still-classified means to defeat hypersonic missiles, the fruit of a focused effort the Pentagon's top technology official spearheaded to find ways to defeat a new class of ultra-fast maneuvering weapons deemed a "huge success."

insidedefense.com

 

[Forest Green]

L3Harris advances missile tracking with new satellite design milestone

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) has finalized the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for 18 cutting-edge space vehicles, marking a key step in its work on the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche

www.spacewar.com

 

[TeourdBeourglaer]

This might have been mentioned already and likely obvious to everyone for a while now, but giving the Army the new mid-range strike capabilities with Tomahawk's (as well as long-range capability real soon!) and SM-6's deployed spread throughout Guam (potentially in very large numbers).
With all that, Pacific DDG's only need to have AD Missiles in their VLS!
Maybe certain ships can be loaded out with a small quantity of Tomahawk's for deeper strikes, as they can sail closer to the target...
My point is, more SM-3/6 Interceptors for HGV defense...

 

[Josh_TN]

US Army/USMC land launchers cannot achieve anything like the salvo density of a Burke class destroyer. An MRC battery is 16 missiles. A Burke with only a quarter of its cells is 24. A CSG with 25-35% of its Mk41s dedicated to tomahawk is 100-150 missiles. Land based systems can reload and continue to be threat longer perhaps, but large scale surge strikes are still a USN thing. Or a USAF bomber thing.

 

[Forest Green]

Shyu: DOD developed, deployed classified counter-hypersonic capabilities | InsideDefense.com

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The U.S. military rapidly developed and deployed still-classified means to defeat hypersonic missiles, the fruit of a focused effort the Pentagon's top technology official spearheaded to find ways to defeat a new class of ultra-fast maneuvering weapons deemed a "huge success."

insidedefense.com

Kind of makes you wonder what it is. Would a missile interceptor be a classified means? I wouldn't have thought so, the missile itself might be classified but the fact it's a missile probably wouldn't.

Northrop Grumman's next-gen missile warning satellites move to manufacturing

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 16, 2024 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has secured a contract extension for Phase 2 of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar (NGP) program from the U.S. Space Force's Space System

www.spacewar.com

Lockheed Martin prepares Next-Gen OPIR satellite for system testing

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 16, 2024 - Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has reached a significant milestone in the development of the U.S. Space Force's Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (

www.spacewar.com

Hypersonic missile defense deserves predictable and sustainable funding - Breaking Defense

Keeping the Glide Phase Interceptor program on track needs to be a priority for the new administration and Congress, writes former NORTHCOM officer Howard “Dallas” Thompson.

breakingdefense.com

 

[Forest Green]

The U.S. Military’s New Multi-Orbit Approach To Missile Warning | Aviation Week Network

As the Space Force approaches its fifth birthday, one of its most critical mission areas is undergoing a massive facelift.

aviationweek.com

Northrop Grumman Cleared for Production of NGI Target Vehicle

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Jan. 9, 2025 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is developing the Modified Ballistic Re-Entry Vehicle-11 (MBRV-11) supporting the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Integrated Master Test Plan (IMTP) to test the Next Generation...

news.northropgrumman.com

Northrop Grumman approved for NGI target vehicle production

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 15, 2025 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has secured approval to advance the production of the Modified Ballistic Re-Entry Vehicle-11 (MBRV-11), a critical component supporting the Missile Defense A

www.spacewar.com

 

[Forest Green]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o7XRYCFYyM

 

[Forest Green]

Trump’s missile shield marks shift in homeland defense strategy

Trump's order establishing an Iron Dome for America includes a wider focus to defend the homeland from air and missile attacks from peer adversaries.

www.defensenews.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884549305081467257

View: https://x.com/defense_news/status/1884549305081467257

Trump Wants Iron Dome for America. How the Space Force Is Key

The Space Force is key to the “Iron Dome for America,” President Trump's directive for a comprehensive air and missile defense strategy.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[Josh_TN]

‘Defending the homeland’ from missile strikes is a hopeless task. It would be far more relevant to defend several key bases/ports and call it a day, and even that require a lot of spending from Congress that quite frankly is not going to happen.

 

[TomS]

‘Defending the homeland’ from missile strikes is a hopeless task. It would be far more relevant to defend several key bases/ports and call it a day, and even that require a lot of spending from Congress that quite frankly is not going to happen.

Is Palm Beach a key port or base? Because you know that's what he's concerned about defending.

 

[TomcatViP]

Raytheon appeals decision award:

Also in May, MDA entered an agreement with Japan’s ministry of defense to jointly develop the GPI.

That is where Raytheon claims the awarding process began to go awry. Details are shown in two court filings from November that recently were made public by the court – though with heavy redactions.

In its complaint, Raytheon alleges MDA “internally changed its evaluation criteria,” though specifics are not publicly given. The agency’s decision was an “arbitrary and irrational” one that “applied unstated criteria” and “treated Northrop and Raytheon unequally,” according to lawyers for Raytheon.

Huntsville lost out on $832M missile defense award. Now a court could order a do-over

Raytheon claims in a federal lawsuit that the Missile Defense Agency acted in an “arbitrary and irrational” way when it chose Northrop Grumman to advance development of the glide phase interceptor.

www.al.com

 

[Forest Green]

Russia slams Trump plan for 'Star Wars' missile shield

Moscow (AFP) Jan 31, 2025 - Russia on Friday criticised President Donald Trump's plan to build a Star Wars-like missile shield for the United States, saying it risked turning space into an arena of confrontation.

www.spacewar.com

 

[Big_Zukini]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o7XRYCFYyM

At 3:06 he says an RF seeker would not see beyond the plasma sheath. But I know that plasma sheaths have their own frequency and don't attenuate the entire spectrum uniformly. Is it therefore not possible to simply match an RF seeker to the corresponding plasma sheath frequency and achieve impact at a high velocity?

I've only briefly went through this document and they propose seekers from X band (8-12GHz) up to Ka (27-40GHz).

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA317256.pdf

I didn't find anything quickly on how to calculate plasma sheath frequency so I consulted ChatGPT and it gave me this answer:

• The plasma frequency (fpf_pfp) is determined by the electron density:
  fp=8.98×103×ne(Hz)f_p = 8.98 \times 10^3 \times \sqrt{n_e} \quad \text{(Hz)}fp=8.98×103×ne(Hz)
  where nen_ene is the electron density in cm−3\text{cm}^{-3}cm−3.
• At Mach 10, depending on altitude and material properties, the plasma electron density can reach values exceeding 1012−101310^{12} - 10^{13}1012−1013 electrons/cm³, leading to a plasma frequency in the range of 9-30 GHz or more.

I then asked the same about a missile decelerating to Mach 6 and it gave me this answer:

For a Mach 6 missile, the plasma frequency range is approximately:

0.9 GHz to 2.8 GHz

I acknowledge the challenge in locking onto the correct target at exceptionally high range (10's of km) and maneuvering to align with it in such short time. I'm only asking about seeker functionality.

 

[Forest Green]

Missile Defense Agency asks industry for American 'Iron Dome' concepts - Breaking Defense

The agency's RFI seeks capabilities that can be deployed in "epochs" starting in 2026, and running in two year increments to "beyond" Dec. 31 2030.

breakingdefense.com

 

[Forest Green]

The secret to delivering Trump’s Iron Dome program - Breaking Defense

Charles Beames lays out how the Iron Dome for America project needs to be structured in order for it to be successful.

breakingdefense.com

Exclusive: Here's who Hegseth may task to put together Trump's Iron Dome plan - Breaking Defense

Under the draft, by Feb. 28 the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, DoD components, military departments, combatant commands and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) are to put together three "scalable reference architectures" for "small, medium and large options" for the shield using "kinetic...

breakingdefense.com

 

[Forest Green]

DOT&E: Navy must improve on several aspects of hypersonic threat testing | InsideDefense.com

As hypersonic missile threats become more sophisticated, the importance of adequate testing grows, yet the Navy finds itself in a capability gap, according to the Pentagon chief weapons tester's annual report released last week.

insidedefense.com

Senators detail desired missile defense elements for Trump’s Iron Dome

Two senators introduced a bill that would authorize $19.5 billion for fiscal 2026 to build out Trump's "Iron Dome for America."

www.defensenews.com

Missile Defense Agency Moves Out Quickly on ‘Iron Dome’

The Missile Defense Agency is gathering ideas for President Trump’s “Iron Dome for America” and eyeing progress within the next two years.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[Forest Green]

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/global-military-spending-news-only.21865/post-754823

The most controversial piece of the plan calls for space-based interceptors capable of taking out missiles during their boost phase – a significant escalation in space-based capabilities.

Why a missile shield in space makes sense

On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that called for the creation of a missile defense shield protecting the United States that would, among other things, include b…

spacenews.com

One much-invoked 2004 study repeated many similar cost concerns. At the same time, critics continued to argue that pursuing space-based missile defense would accelerate the weaponization of space. A 2012 report reexamined space-based interceptors, warning that they could cost over $300 billion. Ironically, from 2002 to 2022, the Department of Defense would end up spending at least $174 billion on a different missile defense concept that targets missiles in their midcourse phase of flight, in many ways a far more difficult challenge than targeting a missile during its boost phase.

That was 20 years ago. Many of the assumptions baked into these prior assessments have changed due to tectonic geopolitical, strategic and technological shifts. Space access is far cheaper and satellites are manufactured at a scale exponentially greater than anything possible decades ago. Russia and China are busily weaponizing space to their advantage, in spite of U.S. calls for responsible behaviors in space. Meanwhile, hostile regimes, like Iran and North Korea, are developing better, longer-range missiles capable of striking the homeland.

In 1989, it cost about $30,000 per kilogram for launch into low Earth orbit. In 2018, it cost $1,500 per kilogram. That cost should drop to around $500 per kilogram in the coming years. Additionally, many companies have shown they can build and operate satellite constellations at scale. SpaceX alone can produce about five satellites per day and has thousands of satellites in orbit. Other companies are pursuing responsive space systems to put satellites into space on short notice, operating satellites at lower altitudes than had been the norm, and building capsules to survive atmospheric reentry — all three developments could support missile intercept systems. As launch costs plummet, the barriers to space fires do as well.

Canada willing to join US 'Iron Dome' missile shield: minister

Ottawa (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 - Canada is prepared to join US President Donald Trump's proposed development of an Iron Dome missile defense shield, Defense Minister Bill Blair said Thursday.

www.spacewar.com

 

[Forest Green]

Space Development Agency launches study on Trump’s Iron Dome order

In a notice Wednesday, the agency said it is conducting a study that looks at how its architecture could be expanded as part of the Iron Dome order.

www.defensenews.com

SDA asks industry to propose 60-day studies of 'novel' capabilities for Iron Dome - Breaking Defense

The SDA call for studies on speeding HBTSS "missile defense capabilities" is interesting, as its wording differs somewhat from language in an earlier solicitation from the Missile Defense Agency for proposals that appears to refer to an HBTSS satellite constellation.

breakingdefense.com

 

[Forest Green]

Sensing grid should be 'top priority' for US Iron Dome: NORTHCOM head - Breaking Defense

“You can't defeat what you can't see, and the adversaries have an increasing capability of reaching us and threatening us from ranges beyond what some of our current systems can detect and track," said Gen. Gregory Guillot, who leads US Northern Command.

breakingdefense.com

SDA seeks industry input for space capabilities to support U.S. 'Iron Dome' | InsideDefense.com

The Space Development Agency is calling on industry to help shape the blueprint of a proposed national missile defense system as outlined in the recent "Iron Dome for America" executive order, announcing plans to issue 60-day studies to flesh out potential new dimensions of its Proliferated...

insidedefense.com

 

[Forest Green]

Canada Joining Iron Dome Missile Defense Plan Would Be Welcome: NORAD Boss

Cooperation on new space-based sensors might be a starting place for the U.S. and Canada on joint missile defense, but major hurdles remain.

www.twz.com

 

[Forest Green]

Proliferating Space-Based Missile Tracking to Counter Emerging Threats

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025 - Lockheed Martin is advancing its efforts in missile tracking technology by developing 18 Tranche 2 (T2) Tracking Layer space vehicles for the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space

www.spacewar.com

Space Force team mapping service's contributions to Iron Dome missile shield - Breaking Defense

"We are leaning forward establishing this technical IPT to try to pull together all of the systems and start thinking about it from an overarching perspective," Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said.

breakingdefense.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894505064003186989

View: https://x.com/MilitaryTimes/status/1894505064003186989


I'd have gone with Orange Dome personally.

Trump's Missile Defense Initiative's Name Changed From Iron Dome To Golden Dome

It's not clear why gold was chosen, but it is famously Trump's favorite color.

www.twz.com

Iron Dome for America gets a golden makeover

President Trump's new missile defense shield effort is now dubbed "Golden Dome."

www.defensenews.com

 

[NMaude]

I'd have gone with Orange Dome personally.

LOL! What about Golden Shower?

 

[NMaude]

Alex Hollings from Sandboxx has recently uploaded a video about whether or not Trump's proposed Golden Dome system is feasible:

On January 27, 2025, one week after taking office, President Trump issued an executive order entitled, “The Iron Dome for America,” outlining the new administration’s goal of fielding a next-generation air defense network meant to deter future conflict and, if necessary, defend the American mainland from a wide variety of airborne attacks, including nuclear cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles.

But is this plan actually feasible? Let's discuss.

 

[Josh_TN]

Without having watched I would say generally “no”, though perhaps very finite areas or target subsets could be defended against some specific opposing capabilities. The extent of the defense and the type of attacking systems it would defend against have naturally never been articulated becathe administration has little idea.

 

[quellish]

Shyu: DOD developed, deployed classified counter-hypersonic capabilities | InsideDefense.com

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The U.S. military rapidly developed and deployed still-classified means to defeat hypersonic missiles, the fruit of a focused effort the Pentagon's top technology official spearheaded to find ways to defeat a new class of ultra-fast maneuvering weapons deemed a "huge success."

insidedefense.com

Wow, that is great news!

What "hypersonic missile" was used to test and validate this new capability? Surely it was tested against some hypersonic missile acting as a target. Maybe this system was tested against ARRW and prevents booster ignition?

Or was this actually a "simulated capability" against a "simulated missile" ? Because if this is the "classified capability" I think it was, yes that's actually what happened. Which is like saying that we now have "capabilities" that were validated in Call of Duty.