Sept 25 (Reuters) - Northrop Grumman ( NOC ) said on

Wednesday the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has selected the

defense company to continue developing glide phase interceptor

systems capable of countering hypersonic missiles.

The MDA said in a statement it is leading the development of

the systems for the Pentagon alongside Japan's Ministry of

Defense, adding that follow-on development and production

contracts are expected to bolster missile defense capabilities.

Glide phase interceptors are guided by a constellation of

satellites and sensors to intercept hypersonic missiles inside

the Earth's atmosphere as it glides towards its target.

The next development phase will see Northrop refining the

preliminary design of the interceptor alongside a demonstration

of the system's performance in hypersonic environments.

The success of ballistic missile defenses facing their first

complex, high-stakes combat scenarios in Israel, the Red Sea and

Ukraine will encourage militaries globally to invest in the

pricey systems, a potential windfall for contractors building

defense systems.