Putting the Nation’s Most Critical Defense Systems to the Test
Leveraging a Legacy of Expertise to Verify the Nation’s Defense Systems
By Presley Price
The U.S. government and defense industry are working hand-in-hand to develop, deliver and sustain solutions that protect the homeland against hypersonic missile threats. Northrop Grumman recognizes that missile defense is a key component of the U.S. strategic deterrence strategy, and the Missile Defense Agency has deployed proven end-to-end missile defense solutions that stand watch 24/7.
One of the most critical steps in developing and sustaining missile defense solutions is systems testing to ensure they are effective in the event of an attack. Robin Heard leads a team at Northrop Grumman that designs and produces sophisticated test missiles that replicate global missile threats.
Proven Portfolio Tailored to Customer Requirements
Northrop Grumman is the leading provider of target launch vehicles used to test the nation’s most critical defense systems. The company’s portfolio of targets ranges from common threat vehicles to custom-designed launch vehicles that emulate specific threats. Designed with modularity in mind, each target is manufactured with the ability to quickly and cost effectively adjust the vehicle’s speed, distance, trajectory, launch method and payload to execute a wide variety of missions.
A Legacy of Expertise
Northrop Grumman offers end-to-end missile defense capabilities to support national security. The company’s forward-leaning, pioneering spirit is backed by a legacy of expertise that began at the dawn of the space age.
“Our mission expertise runs deep, we know our customers well and our capabilities are unmatched. This allows us to provide reliable, agile and affordable target vehicles to support our customers’ most critical missions,” said Brian Mullet, program director, Short and Medium Range Missile target vehicles, Northrop Grumman.
Leveraging a proven track record of success, Northrop Grumman combines advanced technology with repurposed motors and technologies from its heritage programs to produce affordable, high-performing targets.
“Our philosophy has always been to leverage commonality at the right level,” said Brian. “We have designed and procured an inventory of components we’re able to plug and play across programs that meet the requirements of all of our skyline environments, boost reliability and drive down manufacturing time and cost,” said Brian.
Combining Old & New
The company’s culture of agility and innovation tie back to its experience building target vehicles before and after the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed in 1988 by Ronald Reagan. The treaty contained restrictions on the development of new solid rocket motors (SRM) and other missile launch support equipment. To comply with the treaty, the company became accustomed to combining new technologies with old to further the nation’s missile defense solutions.
“Building target vehicles is similar to using building blocks,” said Brian. “You can often pair new and older blocks together to create the best solution for the customer. Many of the historic SRMs are every bit as capable and reliable as newer technology.”
The tradition of mixing new and old continues today. In 2021, Northrop Grumman brought the production line for the CASTOR® IVB SRM back to life after 10 years of inactivity to produce rocket motors for target vehicles. Brian explained the CASTOR IVB is the ideal SRM for its utility and proven history of high performance for target missions. Northrop Grumman recently completed a successful static test fire of a CASTOR IVB motor, the first time a motor of its kind has been test fired since 1990. The test qualified the upgraded motor design that addressed material obsolescence of previous CASTOR IVB motors as well as the production line itself.
Learn more about the CASTOR® Rocket Motor
