Pentagon seeks low-cost missile interceptors

Defense affairs - Def-Geopolitics

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has opened a new effort to develop a class of low-cost interceptors designed to counter massed missile attacks, with the goal of producing modular weapons priced at less than $750,000 each.

On August 27, the agency issued a solicitation under its Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) program, Announcement No. HQ0860-25-S-0001, inviting defense contractors and non-traditional firms alike to submit white papers. The request called for “innovative approaches to rapidly demonstrate very low cost (>$750K per missile), modular interceptor designs to counter ballistic and hypersonic threats.”

According to the solicitation, the project is aimed at concept demonstration using “readily available components and technologies within a very compressed schedule.” MDA emphasized that the initiative seeks to rebalance the offense-defense cost disparity by fielding interceptors inexpensive enough to be used against large-scale barrages of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic weapons.

A virtual information session is scheduled for the week of September 15, 2025, with white papers due no later than September 29, 2025. The effort is structured in two phases: a six-month preliminary period followed by a 12-month prototyping and testing phase. The timeline reflects the agency’s intent to pursue rapid integration rather than long-term technology development.

The agency said that proposed concepts must be modular and adhere to open system architecture standards, allowing for substitution or spiral upgrades of sensors, guidance, warheads, or boosters from multiple vendors.

“Concepts in response to this solicitation should be modular in design with open architectures, such as Weapon Open System Architectures (WOSA),” the announcement stated.

MDA noted its preference for designs that incorporate commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) or government off-the-shelf (GOTS) components, previously developed subsystems, and low-cost manufacturing practices. By leveraging existing technologies, the agency hopes to compress development schedules and reduce unit costs while maintaining effectiveness against advanced threats.

The minimum capability requirements include the ability to conduct endo-atmospheric engagements against ballistic and hypersonic targets; reach Mach 5-plus speeds with ranges exceeding 200 kilometers; and employ a blast-fragmentation warhead guided by a terminal seeker. The system must be capable of in-flight targeting updates, maneuverable enough to intercept hypersonic glide vehicles, and small enough to fit within the U.S. Army’s Patriot M903 launcher or quad-pack into a Vertical Launch System.

Options for containerized launchers are also invited, provided they meet the same open interface standards. Control interfaces must be adapted for use with legacy launch and mission control systems, allowing the interceptors to supplement existing missile defense architectures without requiring an overhaul of command-and-control infrastructure.

The solicitation makes clear that performance trade-offs will be accepted if they enable reductions in cost and time to fielding. Offerors are encouraged to focus on “reduced cost and schedule,” while leveraging legacy components “to maximize warfighter utility and meet minimum capability goals.”

MDA described the Low-Cost Interceptor (LCI) as a supplement to legacy missile defense systems rather than a replacement. The initiative is intended to expand options for defending against swarms of low-cost weapons such as supersonic cruise missiles and short- or medium-range ballistic missiles, while also providing a means to engage hypersonic glide vehicles at lower expense than current interceptors.

By opening the competition to both established defense firms and non-traditional entrants, MDA signaled its intent to broaden the industrial base for missile defense technologies. The call for white papers emphasized modularity, open architectures, and rapid prototyping as the cornerstones of the program.

As the United States faces growing threats from adversaries developing massed missile strike capabilities, the agency’s pursuit of low-cost interceptors highlights a shift toward affordability and rapid deployment as essential elements of the nation’s layered defense.