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Northrop Grumman has enlisted satellite bus manufacturer Apex to support its space-based interceptor contract with the U.S. Space Force, the defense prime announced June 1.
The Space Force over the past several months has awarded 20 other transaction authority contracts worth a combined $3.2 billion to 12 vendors, including Northrop Grumman. Those companies are charged with developing a variety of capabilities to support the space-based interceptor (SBI) program, a key element of the Golden Dome layered missile defense architecture.
Northrop’s press release did not describe the extent of its partnership with Los Angeles-based Apex.
“We’re combining our advanced missile defense technologies and commercial partnerships to demonstrate next-generation, space-based interceptor capabilities in support of our nation’s Golden Dome priorities,” Ryan Tintner, vice president and general manager of Northrop's space superiority division, said in the release. “We have already completed key ground tests this year and are uniquely positioned with Apex to rapidly accelerate and scale affordable production to defend the homeland.”
The defense prime has invested $1 billion into missile defense technology and is targeting an on-orbit SBI capability in 2027, the release said.
Companies involved in the Golden Dome architecture have kept details of their arrangements closely guarded, as Pentagon leaders warn that industry partners face adversarial targeting. But some details are slowly coming into focus.
In May, Anduril, another SBI contract awardee, revealed that its team includes space mobility company Impulse Space, space delivery vehicle startup Inversion Space, spacecraft manufacturer K2 Space, Sandia National Laboratories and Voyager Technologies.
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