A California firm’s new interceptor can travel from the Earth’s surface into space to chase down hostile missiles.
Built for mass production, Long Wall’s “Cyclops” aims to deliver missile-class performance at a fraction of the typical cost.
At the heart of the system is an exoatmospheric kill vehicle, which crashes onto targets directly rather than using an explosive payload.
It comes with a containerized launcher for rapid deployment on land or at sea, but the company has maintained that the interceptor is also compatible with existing US military launchers.
Long Wall Chief Executive Officer Dan Piemont likened Cyclops to the SM-3 missiles, highlighting its versatility against threats ranging from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) to hypersonic glide vehicles.
“[This interceptor is] able to meet a range of missions, from counter-ICBM homeland defense to upgrading the IAMD (integrated air and missile defense) systems of allies,” he stated.
Readying Up
Long Wall is reportedly changing its usual approach to system testing to field Cyclops “on an operationally relevant timeline.”
The company will use its in-house RSX liquid booster vehicle as a mobile testing platform, catering hypersonic flight tests and missile defense missions.
Production lines are also being optimized for the initial batch of Cyclops interceptors, with over 100 rounds expected once the facilities are fully utilized.
Long Wall will bring 3D printing, electronic assembly, and integrated testing in one environment to push Cyclops’ deployment earlier.
With the first phases of testing already completed this year, Piemont said more demos are slated to happen in 2026.
