Northrop Grumman Proposes Cannon-Based Air Defense System for U.S. Army Drone Threat.

U.S. Company Northrop Grumman has proposed a Cannon-Based Air Defense system designed to provide the U.S. Army with scalable terminal protection against mass drone and subsonic cruise missile attacks. The concept centers on guided medium-caliber ammunition tied into layered sensors and battle management networks, aiming to lower interception costs while sustaining short-range air defense capacity.

U.S. Company Northrop Grumman is advancing the Cannon-Based Air Defense (CBAD) concept as a scalable solution to counter the growing threat of drone swarms and low-flying cruise missiles targeting U.S. Army formations. The system integrates guided medium-caliber cannon ammunition with layered radar and electro-optical sensors, all linked through battle management command and control networks to enable coordinated terminal defense. By relying on precision-guided projectiles rather than high-cost interceptors, CBAD is intended to deliver sustained short-range air defense against large-volume, low-cost aerial raids. The proposal reflects Army concerns that current missile-based defenses may be financially and logistically strained in high-intensity conflicts.
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Northrop Grumman’s Cannon-Based Air Defense concept integrates medium-caliber automatic cannons with guided ammunition, advanced sensors, and battle management systems to provide scalable terminal defense against drone swarms and subsonic cruise missiles. (Picture source: Northrop Grumann)

The CBAD (Cannon-Based Air Defense) is structured not as a standalone gun, but as an integrated defensive architecture combining battle-proven automatic cannons, advanced ammunition, surveillance radars, electro-optical trackers, and networked battle management systems. It is designed to augment existing U.S. Army air defense layers, reinforcing the terminal engagement zone that protects air bases, logistics hubs, maneuver brigades, and critical infrastructure once outer missile defenses are saturated or bypassed.

The enabling technology is guided ammunition. Unlike conventional programmable airburst rounds that rely on timed detonation, guided cannon projectiles are designed to execute in-flight trajectory corrections toward aerial targets. Fired in small salvos, these munitions increase effective engagement range and improve the probability of kill against maneuvering unmanned aircraft systems and low-flying cruise missiles. The concept transforms the cannon from a purely ballistic area weapon into a maneuver-capable short-range interceptor.

While Northrop Grumman has not publicly released full performance data for CBAD, the concept leverages medium-caliber cannons such as the Bushmaster family. In U.S. Army service, the XM813 30 mm Bushmaster chain gun mounted on Stryker M-SHORAD vehicles has a cyclic rate of fire of approximately 200 rounds per minute, with effective air defense engagement ranges typically cited around 2 to 3 km, depending on ammunition type. Larger 35 mm systems, widely used in European air defense, can extend effective range beyond 4 km and deliver higher fragment mass per round.

For comparison, Germany’s Rheinmetall Skynex air defense system is among the most mature modern cannon-based air defense architectures currently in service. Skynex uses the Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 in 35 mm caliber with a rate of fire of up to 1,000 rounds per minute. Its Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction (AHEAD) ammunition releases a cloud of pre-formed tungsten sub-projectiles in front of the target, increasing lethality against drones and rockets. The effective engagement range for the 35 mm system is typically around 4 kilometers against aerial threats. Skynex integrates X-TAR3D search radars, tracking sensors, and a modular command-and-control system that coordinates multiple gun units within a networked defense grid.

The key distinction between CBAD and Skynex lies in ammunition philosophy. Skynex relies on programmable airburst munitions that create dense fragmentation patterns along a predicted intercept point. CBAD, by contrast, emphasizes guided ammunition capable of multiple in-flight maneuvers, effectively narrowing the gap between traditional cannon rounds and missile interceptors. If fully matured, guided cannon rounds could extend engagement envelopes and improve the single-shot probability of kill beyond what programmable airburst alone can achieve.

From the Army Recognition defense analysts’ perspective, CBAD’s primary advantage for the U.S. Army would be economic sustainability and scalability. Missile-based short-range interceptors such as Stinger have engagement ranges of roughly 4 to 8 kilometers, but at significantly higher unit cost. In saturation scenarios involving dozens or hundreds of low-cost drones, missile inventories can be rapidly depleted. Cannon systems, particularly those with high onboard ammunition capacity, offer greater magazine depth and lower cost per engagement, preserving missile stocks for higher-tier threats.

In terms of rate of fire, the 30 mm XM813’s approximate 200 rounds per minute provides controlled engagement suitable for integration on maneuver platforms such as Stryker. By contrast, the 35 mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun’s 1,000 rounds per minute enables dense projectile clouds for base defense scenarios. CBAD’s scalability across calibers suggests it could be adapted to both maneuver and fixed-site defense roles, depending on platform selection.

Operationally, both CBAD and Skynex address the same strategic reality: adversaries are expanding the quantity, variety, and expendability of aerial weapons. Future conflicts are expected to involve significantly larger raid sizes targeting air bases and critical infrastructure. Traditional long-range interceptor missiles remain indispensable for high-performance aircraft and advanced missile threats, but they are not optimized for economically defeating mass-produced drones.

CBAD’s integration with battle management command and control systems aligns with the U.S. Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense architecture, enabling sensor-to-shooter connectivity across layered defenses. Skynex similarly operates within a modular networked structure, demonstrating that modern cannon-based systems are no longer standalone guns but digitally integrated defensive nodes.

Strategically, the comparison highlights diverging but complementary approaches. European systems such as Skynex emphasize highly optimized programmable airburst lethality at known ranges, already fielded and combat-proven in counter-drone roles. Northrop Grumman’s CBAD concept advances toward maneuverable guided ammunition that could increase flexibility, extend effective engagement zones, and enhance resilience against agile threats.

For the U.S. Army, the relevance of CBAD lies in restoring credible, scalable terminal defense while addressing the cost-exchange imbalance exposed by drone saturation warfare. Whether adopted formally under that designation or integrated into future short-range air defense modernization efforts, guided cannon-based systems represent a structural evolution in how ground forces defend against mass air threats in high-intensity conflict environments.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.