Hypersonics / Missile Defense

The setup

The Department of Defense is making substantial, multi-billion dollar investments in advanced missile defense systems, with a clear focus on next-generation interceptors, radar capabilities, and the underlying materials science for hypersonic flight. This initiative spans multiple agencies within the DoD, indicating a coordinated effort to upgrade and expand the nation's defensive capabilities against evolving missile threats. The scale of these contracts suggests a long-term strategic commitment to modernizing missile defense infrastructure.

How this developed

1. Feb 24, 2025MDA awards Northrop Grumman $2.39B for Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) All-Up-Round (AUR) design and testing.Federal contract
2. Sep 10, 2025Department of the Navy awards Raytheon $1.05B for Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) integration and production support.Federal contract
3. Nov 13, 2025MDA awards Boeing $6.46B for Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) development, sustainment, fielding, and testing.Federal contract
4. Jan 29, 2026Department of the Army awards Raytheon $1.90B for Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense System (LTAMDS).Federal contract
5. May 21, 2026MDA awards Lockheed Martin $5.26B for Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) All-Up-Round (AUR) design and testing.Federal contract
6. May 22, 2026MDA awards Lockheed Martin $9.09B for THAAD Interceptor Lot 9 production of 23 units.Federal contract
7. Jun 24, 2026Department of the Army awards Northrop Grumman $879.7M for Poland's Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS).Federal contract
8. Sep 3, 2026NASA awards Wichita State University $1.86M for refractory composite databases for hypersonic flight structures.Federal contract
9. Sep 8, 2026Army issues a pre-solicitation for Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) Ground Systems Maintenance and Optimization (GSM&O) II.Procurement notice

Why it matters

• The DoD is investing heavily in next-generation interceptors, with Northrop Grumman (E1) and Lockheed Martin (E7) receiving over $7.6 billion combined for NGI development, indicating a dual-source strategy for future missile defense.
• Significant funds are allocated to radar systems, including Raytheon's $1.05B for AMDR (E2) and $1.90B for LTAMDS (E4), alongside Lockheed Martin's $687M for Sentinel A4 radar (E6), showing a broad push for advanced detection capabilities.
• The $9.09 billion contract to Lockheed Martin for THAAD Interceptor Lot 9 production (E8) signals continued reliance on and expansion of existing proven missile defense systems while next-gen systems are developed.
• NASA's $1.86M grant to Wichita State (E13) for hypersonic flight materials indicates a foundational investment in the underlying technology required to counter or develop hypersonic capabilities, complementing missile defense efforts.

Named in a federal contract

Only companies that a specific contract in this theme names as recipient or parent. Not a recommendation.

The record · 10 items, oldest first

• Feb 24, 2025Federal contractNORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION: DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEVELOPMENTAL TESTING OF THE NEXT GENERATION INTERCEPTOR (NGI) ALL-UP-ROUND (AUR)
• Sep 10, 2025Federal contractRAYTHEON COMPANY: AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE RADAR (AMDR) INTEGRATION AND PRODUCTION SUPPORT (I&PS).
• Nov 13, 2025Federal contractTHE BOEING COMPANY: THE MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA), GROUND-BASED MIDCOURSE DEFENSE (GMD) DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINMENT CONTRACT (DSC) THE GMD DSC WORK INCLUDES,
• Jan 29, 2026Federal contractRAYTHEON COMPANY: UNDEFINITIED CONTRACT (UCA) FOR LOWER TIER AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM (LTAMDS)
• May 18, 2026Federal contractLOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION: CRUISE MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS SENTINEL A4 RADAR DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE REQUIREMENT
• May 21, 2026Federal contractLOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION: DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEVELOPMENTAL TESTING OF THE NEXT GENERATION INTERCEPTOR (NGI) ALL-UP-ROUND (AUR)
• May 22, 2026Federal contractLOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION: HQ0147-17-C-0032 UNDEFINITIZED CONTRACT ACTION (UCA) FOR THAAD INTERCEPTOR LOT 9 PRODUCTION - QTY OF 23
• Jun 24, 2026Federal contractNORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION: POLAND FMS THE INTEGRATED AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE (IAMD) BATTLE COMMAND SYSTEM (IBCS).
• Sep 3, 2026Federal contractWICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY: DEVELOPMENT OF DATABASES OF REFRACTORY COMPOSITES FOR THE VALIDATION OF FLIGHT STRUCTURES FOR HYPERSONIC FLIGHT. SIC/SIC, CARBON CARBON AND
• Sep 8, 2026Procurement noticeIntegrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) Ground Systems Maintenance and Optimization (GSM&O) II

Some keyword matches were judged unrelated to this theme and are excluded from the record above.

How this story evolved

• Sep 14, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to next-gen missile defense, including interceptors, radars, and hypersonic flight materials.

  The Department of Defense is making substantial, multi-billion dollar investments in advanced missile defense systems, with a clear focus on next-generation interceptors, radar capabilities, and the underlying materials science for hypersonic flight. This initiative spans multiple agencies within the DoD, indicating a coordinated effort to upgrade and expand the nation's defensive capabilities against evolving missile threats. The scale of these contracts suggests a long-term strategic commitment to modernizing missile defense infrastructure.

• Sep 13, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to next-gen missile defense, including interceptors, radars, and hypersonic flight materials.

  The Department of Defense is making substantial, multi-billion dollar investments in advanced missile defense systems, signaling a major push to upgrade capabilities against evolving threats. This effort spans next-generation interceptors, sophisticated radar systems, and foundational research into materials for hypersonic flight. The Missile Defense Agency and branches of the armed forces are driving this modernization through large-scale contracts with major defense primes.

• Sep 12, 2026, 5:15 AM ETreal19 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to next-gen missile defense, including $14.3B for interceptors and radars from Lockheed Martin.

  The Department of Defense is making substantial, multi-billion dollar investments in advanced missile defense systems, with a clear focus on next-generation interceptors, radars, and integrated battle command systems. This initiative, primarily driven by the Missile Defense Agency and branches of the armed forces, began in early 2025 and has accelerated significantly through 2026. The scale of these contracts indicates a long-term commitment to upgrading the nation's defensive capabilities against evolving missile threats.

• Sep 11, 2026, 5:15 AM ETreal19 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense, focusing on next-gen interceptors, radars, and THAAD production.

  The US government is making a substantial, multi-billion dollar investment in missile defense capabilities, with a clear emphasis on developing next-generation interceptors and advanced radar systems. This push is primarily driven by the Department of Defense, particularly the Missile Defense Agency and the Army, indicating a strategic effort to modernize and expand defensive measures against evolving threats. The contracts span development, production, and sustainment, signaling a comprehensive approach to missile defense infrastructure.

• Sep 10, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal19 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense, focusing on next-gen interceptors, radars, and THAAD production.

  The US government is making a substantial, multi-billion dollar investment in missile defense capabilities, with a clear emphasis on developing next-generation interceptors and advanced radar systems. This push is primarily driven by the Department of Defense, particularly the Missile Defense Agency and the Army, indicating a strategic effort to modernize and expand defensive measures against evolving threats. The contracts span development, production, and sustainment, signaling a comprehensive approach to missile defense infrastructure.

• Sep 9, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal19 recordslatest record Sep 8, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense, focusing on next-gen interceptors, radars, and THAAD production.

  The US government is making a substantial, multi-billion dollar investment in missile defense capabilities, with a clear emphasis on developing next-generation interceptors and advanced radar systems. This push is primarily driven by the Department of Defense, particularly the Missile Defense Agency and the Army, indicating a strategic effort to modernize and expand defensive measures against evolving threats. The contracts span development, production, and sustainment, signaling a comprehensive approach to missile defense infrastructure.

• Sep 8, 2026, 5:15 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense, including next-gen interceptors and hypersonic flight materials.

  The US government is making a significant, multi-billion dollar investment in missile defense capabilities, with a strong focus on next-generation interceptors and advanced radar systems. This push, primarily driven by the Department of Defense, also includes foundational research into materials for hypersonic flight. The activity began in early 2025 and has accelerated through 2026, indicating a sustained and growing commitment.

• Sep 7, 2026, 5:15 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense, including next-gen interceptors and hypersonic flight materials.

  The US government is making a significant, multi-billion dollar investment in missile defense capabilities, with a strong focus on next-generation interceptors and advanced radar systems. This push, primarily driven by the Department of Defense, also includes foundational research into materials for hypersonic flight. The activity began in early 2025 and has accelerated through 2026, indicating a sustained and growing commitment.

• Sep 6, 2026, 5:15 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 3, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense, including next-gen interceptors and hypersonic flight materials.

  The US government is making a significant, multi-billion dollar investment in missile defense capabilities, with a strong focus on next-generation interceptors and advanced radar systems. This push, primarily driven by the Department of Defense, also includes foundational research into materials for hypersonic flight. The activity began in early 2025 and has accelerated through 2026, indicating a sustained and growing commitment.

• Sep 5, 2026, 5:15 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 2, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense systems, including next-gen interceptors and radars, with NASA exploring commercial hypersonics.

  The US government is making substantial investments in missile defense capabilities, with the Department of Defense awarding over $30 billion in contracts for next-generation interceptors, radar systems, and sustainment. This push is complemented by NASA's exploration of commercial hypersonic technologies. The activity spans development, production, and systems engineering across multiple major defense contractors.

• Sep 4, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 1, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense systems, including next-gen interceptors and radars, with a focus on hypersonics.

  The US government is making a substantial, multi-year investment in missile defense capabilities, with over $30 billion in contracts awarded since early 2025. This push is primarily driven by the Department of Defense, focusing on developing and sustaining advanced interceptors, radar systems, and exploring hypersonic technologies. The contracts indicate a comprehensive strategy to upgrade existing defenses and counter emerging threats.

• Sep 3, 2026, 5:14 AM ETreal18 recordslatest record Sep 1, 2026

  DoD commits over $30B to missile defense systems, including next-gen interceptors and radars, with a focus on hypersonics.

  The US government is making a substantial, multi-year investment in missile defense capabilities, with over $30 billion in contracts awarded since early 2025. This push is primarily driven by the Department of Defense, focusing on developing and sustaining advanced interceptors, radar systems, and exploring hypersonic technologies. The contracts indicate a comprehensive strategy to upgrade existing defenses and counter emerging threats.