“The next era of air defense will be defined by smart layering, affordability and scale,” Warden wrote in a social media statement. “The proliferation of low-cost drones alongside increasingly sophisticated aerial threats is changing the security environment — and the economics of defending against it.”
“No single technology can address every challenge,” she wrote. “Effective air defense increasingly requires a mix of complimentary capabilities that can detect, track and defeat a wide range of threats, while ensuring the cost of defense is sustainable.”
Northrop Grumman introduced the Raid Hunter name in August for its 50mm Gun-Based Air Defense System. The design combines Chain Gun technology, precision-guided ammunition and a networked controller to protect bases, airfields and other critical infrastructure.
The company intends Raid Hunter to engage drone swarms, cruise missiles and attacks involving several types of aerial threat. A high firing rate, deep magazines and fast reloads are designed to sustain engagements without the cost pressures associated with massed attacks.
The system is being developed for short-range defense on land and at sea. Its modular design allows transport aboard a C-130, while vehicle-mounted and container-based versions are planned.
On September 16, Northrop Grumman announced successful ballistic testing of 50 mm ammunition fired from an XM913 cannon. The tests assessed flight performance and showed consistent results across the trial batch.
The results allow work to continue on a guided anti-aircraft projectile with a proximity fuze. The announcement did not describe an interception of an aerial target.
The ammunition uses a 50×228 mm cartridge and is intended to combine guided-projectile effectiveness with the lower cost of a cannon round. An initial prototype ready for operational testing is expected in summer 2027.
The XM913 is also intended to equip the U.S. Army’s future XM30 infantry fighting vehicle, the planned Bradley replacement. The September firing tested its use as an air-defense weapon with Raid Hunter ammunition.
Warden said Northrop Grumman was developing counter-drone technologies to keep pace with threats technologically, operationally and economically. Raid Hunter is intended to complement other weapons within a layered air and missile defense architecture.
