The company completed a Critical Design Review (CDR) for the MBRV-11 in October 2024, achieving the milestone less than 16 months after the project’s initial contract award. To accelerate development, Northrop Grumman and MDA combined the System Requirements Review (SRR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) processes, a move that helped expedite the timeline significantly.
To maintain this rapid pace, Northrop Grumman began procuring hardware and conducting qualification tests ahead of the CDR. The company also initiated system-level avionics testing immediately after the review to transition swiftly into production and meet the tight schedule for delivering early operational capability.
Robin Heard, Northrop Grumman’s director of targets, highlighted the innovative approach: “Through executing with speed and building for the future, MBRV-11 is a paradigm shift in the way we partner with MDA to develop new programmes. Our mission expertise enabled us to compress the timeline by combining key reviews and starting critical testing early.”
The MBRV-11 features a baseline vehicle design with four optional enhancement kits, allowing for flexible mission configurations. These vehicles will be integrated with Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) targets to emulate advanced threats the NGI system aims to neutralise.
The contract includes the production of five vehicles to support missile defence test demonstrations, with the first flight test scheduled for 2027. Additionally, Northrop Grumman will upgrade existing IRBM and ICBM target vehicles to integrate them with the MBRV-11, solidifying the company’s role as the end-to-end provider of missile defence targets.
Northrop Grumman’s expertise in developing threat-representative target vehicles stems from a decade of experience, having delivered 25 such vehicles and supported 10 successful missile defence demonstrations since 2011. The company combines advanced avionics, adaptable enhancement kits, and proven solid rocket motor technology to simulate complex adversary threats effectively.
Source: Northrop Grumman press release.
