TUCSON, Ariz. – Raytheon, an RTX business, and Northrop Grumman announced four successful tests of flight-ready Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) solid rocket motors for the U.S. Army’s Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI). HLG is a solid propellant technology for rocket motors that provides longer burn time and more energy output than conventional solid rocket motors, which extends the range of Raytheon’s NGSRI offering compared to other missiles.
The Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor is the U.S. Army’s new short-range missile that flies faster and performs better against aerial threats than existing interceptors. The missile can be fired from a tripod, vehicle or shoulder launcher.
In the latest round of testing, the team completed three static firings in different environments, followed by a successful ballistic flight demonstration. Over the coming months, additional flight tests are planned.
Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, said, “These tests demonstrate our ability to rapidly develop this transformational air defense capability, which can defeat a variety of airborne threats at far greater ranges than legacy systems. Alongside Northrop Grumman, Raytheon is delivering cutting-edge technology to protect our warfighters.”
Raytheon is leveraging collaborative research at the Northrop Grumman Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia to develop the new extended-range motor design, transitioning from proof of concept to first flight in a record time of less than six months.