Northrop Grumman unveils Raid Hunter 50mm SHORAD system to counter drone and cruise missile threats

Published Aug 12, 12:00 PM UTC

Northrop Grumman announced the development of the Raid Hunter, a palletized 50mm gun-based short-range air defense (SHORAD) system, at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. The system repackages the Bushmaster Chain Gun to fire precision-guided 50mm rounds with proximity fuses, designed to counter mass mixed raids of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and cruise missiles. It incorporates Northrop's AiON command-and-control software for detecting and engaging different UAS classes. The company aims to deliver an operational prototype by summer 2027, with monthly tests over the next year. The system is intended to operate in batteries for overlapping coverage, with each round costing in the four-digit range and the entire system costing about half of a missile battery. The concept responds to saturation strike tactics observed in the Russia-Ukraine war.