Northrop Grumman has introduced Raid Hunter, a next-generation 50mm gun-based air-defense system designed to counter cruise missiles, drone swarms, short-range ballistic missiles, and other aerial threats. The system combines the company’s Bushmaster Chain Gun technology with precision-guided 50mm ammunition and networked, AI-enabled fire control.
At the core of Raid Hunter is Northrop Grumman’s guided 50mm ammunition for Bushmaster® Chain Guns®. Fired in small salvos, the rounds can maneuver in flight to improve precision and lethality against aerial targets. Northrop Grumman has not yet publicly assigned the Raid Hunter round a specific designation.
Raid Hunter is designed to fill a short-range air-defense gap, offering a potentially more affordable way to protect military bases, airfields, and critical infrastructure. Northrop Grumman says the system could cost about 50% less than a missile battery, while individual engagements could cost 99.5% less than interceptor missiles, making it particularly suited to high-volume attacks by inexpensive drones.
The skies are changing. Defending against one threat isn’t enough anymore. Our Raid Hunter™ is built to meet the challenge with precision-guided gunfire and the speed needed to help protect what’s critical. pic.twitter.com/Meuqyg04oY
— Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) August 11, 2026
The system can store more than 300 rounds, providing substantially greater ready ammunition capacity than comparable missile-based systems. Its networked architecture allows multiple Raid Hunter systems to share information and coordinate engagements, creating overlapping defensive coverage.
Raid Hunter is also designed as a scalable, platform-agnostic solution that can be palletized or mounted on future vehicles and transported by C-130 aircraft. By combining sensors, AI-enabled command and control, and high-rate precision firepower, Raid Hunter is intended to provide a flexible and cost-effective layer of defense against increasingly large and sophisticated aerial attacks.
First public firing of 50mm XM913 chain gun
Precision-Guided 50mm and 57mm Rounds Target New Threats
Northrop Grumman’s precision-guided 50mm and 57mm ammunition to counter threats including drones, cruise missiles and fast-moving boats.
The 50mm round is paired with the XM913 Bushmaster Chain Gun for short-range air defense, while the 57mm guided round is being developed for the Navy’s Mk110 naval gun to defend against swarming surface threats.
Together, these rounds aim to turn existing gun systems into more precise and cost-effective defenses against emerging threats.
