50mm Projectile Flight Test Advances Gun-Based Air Defense

Northrop Grumman recently conducted an aeroballistic flight test for a new 50mm projectile at the Potomac River Test Range in Dahlgren, Virginia, on September 16, 2026. This evaluation of the company’s Gun-Based Air Defense system generated high-fidelity flight data to advance short-range air defense development for military applications.

The test rounds were fired from an XM913 Chain Gun, successfully capturing performance metrics for nearly every shot and confirming pre-test aerodynamic predictions. This operational milestone supports the ongoing development of a guided, proximity-fuzed 50mm round designed for the Raid Hunter system. The technology addresses the operational challenge of countering large-scale aerial threats, providing a scalable and cost-effective approach to neutralize mass mixed raids, including cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems. The system integrates the world's first 50mm guided round to close critical gaps in layered defense architectures.

Additional Context:
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement

The Northrop Grumman Raid Hunter system utilizes the XM913 Chain Gun chambered in 50x328mm ammunition. Proximity-fuzed, guided 50mm munitions bridge the tactical gap between traditional small-caliber rapid-fire cannon systems and larger missile-based interceptors, offering lower cost-per-engagement ratios against saturating drone swarms and low-altitude cruise missiles. Comparable gun-based counter-unmanned aircraft systems typically rely on 30mm platforms, such as the Bushmaster II or specialized proximity-fuzed 30mm airburst rounds, which possess lower kinetic energy and reduced effective range compared to the 50mm variant. Benchmarks indicate that the 50mm guided projectile significantly extends the engagement envelope while maintaining high rates of fire necessary for point-defense applications in modern combat environments.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

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