Next Gen OPIR Polar (NGP)

When a mission is as critical as missile warning and defense, experience and data-driven solutions are essential to high confidence mission performance.

NGP is designed to keep pace as the threat evolves.

Northrop Grumman’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) polar-orbiting satellites, known as NextGen Polar (NGP), are a key element in strategic missile warning for our nation’s defense. NGP will cover the northern polar region – the shortest route for a missile to travel toward the United States and the most difficult region to monitor from space.

Our NGP satellites operate in highly elliptical orbits and will advance the missile warning mission into a more capable next generation: their modernized sensors will provide excellent coverage of the entire northern hemisphere and are fitted with new resiliency features to stay in the fight in contested scenarios.

NGP’s enhanced communication system allows us to transmit wide-band OPIR data to the ground. This ensures we’ll be able to find the needle in the haystack by pulling infrared heat signatures out of the noise. NGP is designed to keep pace as the threat evolves. We can use the new improved OPIR data to fine-tune our algorithms over time and enhance performance on-orbit.

Datasheet: Next-Gen Polar OPIR

Overhead Persistent IR is How Hypersonic and Maneuverable Threats will be Tracked

Two of the five OPIR missile warning satellites will be polar-oriented to sense ballistic missile threats from adversaries. All five are designed to not only detect launches but to track missiles as they maneuver (Breaking Defense)

Northrop Grumman is leveraging digital transformation to deliver capability with speed.

Model-based systems engineering
Advanced modeling and simulation
Updated tools for our business management processes, production, and supply chain management
End-to-end solutions that enable us to deliver predictable capability at an affordable price