Northrop Grumman has completed a flight test of a new 50mm projectile designed for its Raid Hunter gun-based air defense system. The test produced detailed flight data that will help the company continue developing the system for short-range air defense.
The test was conducted at the Potomac River Test Range in Dahlgren, Virginia. Northrop Grumman said the projectile was fired from an XM913 Chain Gun during an aeroballistic test, which is used to study how a projectile performs during flight.
The company is developing the projectile as part of Raid Hunter, its Gun-Based Air Defense (GBAD) system. The new round is designed as a guided, proximity-fuzed 50mm projectile.
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A proximity fuze is designed to trigger the projectile when it gets close to a target rather than requiring a direct hit. Northrop Grumman says the round is being developed to help address large numbers of aerial threats.
During the test, the rounds fired from the XM913 Chain Gun generated high-quality flight data for nearly every shot. Northrop Grumman said the results matched its predictions and expected performance.
The data will be used to support further development and testing of the projectile. The company described the test as one of several assessments planned for the Raid Hunter system.
Raid Hunter is being developed as a short-range defense system for dealing with different types of aerial threats. These include cruise missiles, drones and other advanced airborne targets.
Northrop Grumman says the system is intended to help defend against mass mixed raids, where multiple types of aerial threats could approach at the same time. The company describes the system as a scalable option for short-range air defense.
Modern air defense systems may need to deal with several targets at once. This has increased interest in systems that can engage multiple aerial threats while managing the cost of each engagement.
Northrop Grumman says its guided 50mm round is being developed with this challenge in mind. The company describes Raid Hunter as a cost-effective approach designed to help close gaps in short-range air defense.
The latest test does not mean the Raid Hunter system is complete. Northrop Grumman said the aeroballistic test is part of continued development, with additional assessments planned.
The company will use the flight data from the test to evaluate the projectile and support future testing. Further development will be needed before the system reaches its intended operational role.
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The test gives Northrop Grumman additional data on how its new 50mm projectile performs when fired from the XM913 Chain Gun. The information can help engineers refine the guided round and prepare it for later stages of development.
Raid Hunter is being developed around a gun-based approach to short-range air defense. If development continues successfully, the system could provide another option for addressing groups of drones, cruise missiles and other aerial threats.
