The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) recently selected Raytheon to continue its development of the first-ever interceptor designed to eliminate the threat of hypersonic missiles.

The MDA’s announcement regarding the Glide Phase Interceptor’s (GPI) development ensures that Huntsville will continue to play a vital role in developing new technologies aimed at deterring the threat of foreign adversarial hypersonics weaponry.

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The MDA selected Raytheon to begin the development of the technology in November 2021. The contract, which is valued at $41 million, was modified and will increase to $62 million.

According to Tay Fitzgerald, president of Strategic Missile Defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the aerospace and defense behemoth’s capabilities will allow for the rapid development of the interceptor.

“Our GPI is built on proven missile defense technology as its foundation,” said Fitzgerald in a release. “By using digital engineering and leveraging high technology readiness level components and subsystems already in use across Standard Missile and hypersonic programs, we can quickly advance the creation of this new interceptor.”

According to the company, Raytheon’s missile defense portfolio combines sensors, interceptors and command and control networks to track and defeat a wide range of threats.

Raytheon holds more than 50 years’ worth of combat interceptor development, integration and production experience. The defense industry giant is responsible for facets of almost every air and missile defense system utilized by the United States and its allies.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL