Northrop reveals 50mm gun built to beat drone swarms

Northrop Grumman has named “Raid Hunter” its 50mm gun-based air defense system aimed at defeating cruise missiles and drone swarms. The company says testing will continue through the rest of this year to support accelerated fielding. Raid Hunter combines Northrop’s Chain Gun, precision-guided 50mm ammunition, and a networked system controller. Northrop’s argument is economic and operational: a conventional interceptor magazine can run out faster than attackers can exhaust drones, while a high-rate-of-fire gun with fast reloads can sustain engagement during large raids. The modular palletized design is sized for transport on a C-130, with vehicle-mounted and container-based variants planned. Northrop did not specify variant timelines or customer names beyond “government and allied partners.”