Northrop Grumman [NOC] recently said it will enter the competition as a prime contractor for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Development and Sustainment contract.

“We have the core people, processes, and tools in place to deliver robust missile defenses under this contract,” said John Clay, vice president of Missile Systems for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “Northrop Grumman already is well underway in bringing together the capabilities to meet GMD’s development, testing, training, operations, support and sustainment challenges.”

The company cited its ability to leverage extensive experience and best practices from missile-related programs for the missile defense program, commenting on a draft Request for Proposals issued Jan. 19 by MDA.

Northrop Grumman is a primary supplier of technologically advanced missile and missile defense weapon systems, including the ICBM Prime Integration Contract, MDA’s Space Tracking and Surveillance Demonstration program, and the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center, Colorado Springs, Colo.