Northrop Grumman's next-gen missile warning satellites move to manufacturing

Northrop Grumman's next-gen missile warning satellites move to manufacturing
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 16, 2024

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has secured a contract extension for Phase 2 of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar (NGP) program from the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command. This multi-year award enables the manufacturing, assembly, integration, testing, and eventual launch of two satellites designed to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missile threats in the Northern Hemisphere.

The NGP Phase 2 contract transitions the program into production, encompassing the assembly and integration of space vehicles (SVs) and related ground systems. This progress follows the successful completion of critical reviews earlier this year, including the Ground Critical Design Review and the Program Critical Integration Review.

Equipped with advanced infrared sensors, the NGP satellites will provide persistent coverage of the North Polar region, addressing the increasing arsenal and modernization of missile technologies by adversaries. These systems are vital for detecting and responding to missile threats, particularly those traveling the fastest routes to the homeland via the Northern Hemisphere.

James Flynn, program manager for Northrop Grumman's Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar program, emphasized the significance of this milestone: "Phase 2 confirms NGP is on schedule to deliver 24/7 resilient missile warning coverage of the Northern Hemisphere and highlights our commitment to preserve an important component of the space-based nuclear command, control and communications architecture. Our higher-resolution threat detection technology and unprecedented wideband communications will provide warfighters and combatant commands with more resilient space capabilities, and strengthens the nation's missile defense, technical intelligence, and battlespace awareness missions to counter emerging and advanced missile technologies."

NGP will replace the Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) hosted payload program, incorporating enhanced capabilities to pinpoint missile targets across the Northern Hemisphere. Its advanced communication system ensures reliable data transmission to ground stations, enabling swift and informed responses to threats, even in highly contested environments.