Northrop Grumman unveils Raid Hunter anti-drone chain gun with 50mm precision-guided ammunition

U.S. aerospace, defense and security giant Northrop Grumman has introduced a new solution designed to provide short-range, layered air defense against increasingly complex aerial threats in modern warfare. The Raid Hunter leverages the company's Chain Gun technology to defend targets from cruise missiles, drone swarms, and other evolving threats, addressing what the firm identifies as a "critical short-range air defense gap."

The modular system can be rapidly deployed on C-130 aircraft and other vehicles, with networking capabilities enabling sensor fusion and coordinated engagements.

The Challenge: Overwhelmed Defense Systems

Recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated that modern air defense systems struggle to counter high-volume drone swarms and low-flying cruise missiles. The sheer volume of aerial threats is overwhelming systems traditionally designed to target warplanes and cruise missiles. Additionally, expensive anti-air missiles—such as those used in the Patriot system—are increasingly seen as inappropriate and cost-ineffective for stopping far cheaper and more numerous drones.

"War has evolved. Air Defenders need the ability to defend against large, complex raids designed to overwhelm traditional defense solutions," said Kenn Todorov, Vice President and General Manager of command, control & weapons integration at Northrop Grumman.

Key Features of Raid Hunter

• Proven Chain Gun technology with precision-guided 50mm ammunition
• Large-caliber, high-rate-of-fire gun designed for cost-effectiveness
• Deep magazines with fast reloads
• Palletized modular design that can be vehicle-mounted or containerized for rapid positioning or relocation

The system is specifically designed to address "the economic challenge of massed swarming threats," according to the defense firm.

Scalability and Integration

Northrop Grumman indicates that multiple Raid Hunter deployments can operate as an integrated system in a networked, interoperable fashion. The solution also integrates with layered defense architectures—including other air and missile defense systems—to protect critical assets across a range of operations.

Next Steps

Testing of the Raid Hunter will continue this year to validate its counter-UAS and air defense capabilities. The company hopes the tests will support accelerated fielding of these air defense systems.