Northrop Grumman unveils Raid Hunter and M230LF air defense guns at AUSA 2026
Northrop Grumman showcased its new Raid Hunter 50mm gun-based air defense system and the M230LF dual-feed chain gun at the AUSA 2026 convention, targeting drone swarms and cruise missiles.
Northrop Grumman presented its Raid Hunter 50mm Gun-Based Air Defense system at the Association of the United States Army’s annual convention. The company also unveiled the M230 Link Fed Dual Feed Bushmaster Chain Gun (M230LF) at the same event. Both systems are designed to counter growing aerial threats to ground forces.
The Raid Hunter system uses AI targeting and proximity-fuzed 50mm ammunition. It is a gun-based point defence solution developed as a private venture. Kenn Todorov, Northrop Grumman’s vice president and general manager of command and control & weapons integration, described the Raid Hunter as "a cost-effective, flexible tool to decisively defeat evolving threats." He stated the weapon "addresses a critical short-range defense gap by delivering rapid, high-capacity protection against complex, mass aerial threats like cruise missiles and drone swarms." The system is intended to meet the growing threat from cruise missile and uncrewed aerial vehicle attacks. Since its introduction in August, the Raid Hunter has completed aeroballistic testing against aerial targets, confirming performance expectations.
M230LF dual-feed chain gun offers flexible ammunition options
The M230LF is modeled after the M230 gun used on Apache attack helicopters. It features two feed paths. This allows operators to switch between standard proximity-fuzed 30x113mm rounds for countering drones and high-explosive, dual-purpose rounds for armored targets. The dual-feed system enables quick ammunition selection without changing out the entire load. The gun can be mounted on various platforms, from 4x4s to large ground vehicles and patrol boats.
Northrop Grumman's specifications for the M230LF are detailed in the table below.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rate of Fire | 200 rounds per minute |
| Reliability | 22,000 rounds between mean time of failure |
| Parts Commonality | Shares 60% of parts with the single-feed model |
Integration with next-gen combat vehicles underway
The 50mm XM913 Chain Gun from the Raid Hunter program is fitted to all prototypes of the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV). The XM30 is under development by General Dynamics Land Systems and American Rheinmetall. It is intended to replace the currently deployed M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. The M2 Bradley is armed with a 25mm M242 Chain Gun.
Leadership and context behind the systems
Kenn Todorov emphasized the systems' role in defeating evolving threats intended to overwhelm defense systems. The Raid Hunter is part of Northrop’s patented Bushmaster Chain Guns, a collection of medium-caliber, vehicle-mounted machine guns that operate using an external power source.
The Raid Hunter has completed aeroballistic testing since its August introduction, confirming performance expectations.
