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Missile Defense

MDA Director: ‘Very Hard’ To Reach IOC For Hypersonic Defense Program By 2029

Thursday, May 9th, 2024

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MDA Director: ‘Very Hard’ To Reach IOC For Hypersonic Defense Program By 2029

Raytheon Missiles & Defense concept art of a potential ship-based Glide Phase Intercept hypersonic defense system. (Image: Raytheon Technologies)

The director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) this week told lawmakers it would be “very hard” to reach the congressionally-mandated initial operating capacity (IOC) for the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) by 2029. “[2029] will be a very hard, with the design of the system and the way the system is set up and the technology maturation that we have playing out over the next four or five years, 2029, with the existing GPI plan, will be a very hard…

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