Northrop Grumman unveils Raid Hunter 50mm gun system to counter drone swarms

Northrop Grumman has named its 50mm gun-based air defence system Raid Hunter, designed to counter cruise missiles and drone swarms. The company states that testing through the remainder of this year will support accelerated fielding.

System Overview

The Raid Hunter system pairs Northrop Grumman’s Chain Gun with precision-guided 50mm ammunition and a networked system controller. Its primary purpose is to handle large-scale raids capable of overwhelming conventional defences—a problem that missiles alone cannot solve, as a magazine of interceptors depletes faster than an attacker can launch drones.

Economic Rationale

The company emphasises the economic advantage of the system:

• High rate of fire
• Deep magazines
• Fast reloads

These features offer a cost-effective alternative to expending interceptors worth several hundred thousand pounds on targets worth only a few thousand.

Executive Commentary

Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager for command and control and weapons integration, stated:

"Raid Hunter addresses a critical short-range defense gap by delivering rapid, high-capacity protection against complex, mass aerial threats like cruise missiles and drone swarms. It provides warfighters with a cost-effective, flexible tool to decisively defeat evolving threats now and in the future, strengthening the security of vital bases and infrastructure."

He added:

"War has evolved. Air Defenders need the ability to defend against large, complex raids designed to overwhelm traditional defense solutions. Raid Hunter addresses this critical need by delivering a cost effective and deep magazine solution which can be rapidly delivered to the warfighter at scale."

Design and Deployment

The system is built on a modular, palletised form factor sized for transport aboard a C-130 aircraft. Vehicle-mounted and container-based variants are planned, though Northrop Grumman has not specified when these variants will appear or which customers it is working with, beyond a reference to government and allied partners.

The Return of Guns in Air Defence

Guns were largely written off for air defence by the 1990s, displaced by missiles offering greater accuracy at longer range. However, the arithmetic of drone warfare has brought them back:

• Russian and Ukrainian forces launch small uncrewed aircraft in numbers that make missile defence unaffordable.
• In the Red Sea, Western warships have fired multi-million-pound rounds at Houthi drones costing a fraction of that.

Guided ammunition makes this return viable. Unguided cannon fire against small, manoeuvring targets requires a large volume of rounds and a very good fire control solution. In contrast, course-correcting projectiles allow hits at longer range with fewer shots, while keeping the cost per engagement far below that of a missile.

Broader Industry Context

Raid Hunter is part of Northrop Grumman’s Raid Defense Solutions portfolio—a layered suite of kinetic counter-drone and air defence products combining fielded programmes with command and control software and sensor fusion.

Similar developments are visible across the industry and among European governments:

• Rheinmetall continues to develop its Skyranger turret in 30mm and 35mm forms.
• Several armies have brought older self-propelled anti-aircraft guns back into service.
• Britain has pursued the problem through directed energy work on DragonFire, alongside a series of counter-drone trials.

The 50mm Chain Gun

The 50mm chain gun itself is not a new weapon. Northrop Grumman developed the XM913 in that calibre for the US Army’s optionally manned fighting vehicle programme. The gun is capable of firing airburst and guided rounds from a mechanically driven, externally powered action—a design the company has built since the Bushmaster series entered service in the 1970s.