Northrop’s IMU relies on advanced sensors to understand how a hypersonic weapon is moving through its environment, calculating where the weapon has traveled and where it needs to go.
One of the most promising new weapons developed for the modern age is the hypersonic weapon. The only problem is that the Americans are woefully behind their Russian and Chinese rivals in terms of creating working arsenals of these weapons. In fact, Washington may even be behind the likes of Iran and North Korea!
There are many factors explaining why the Americans fell behind their foes in this critical domain. But Washington has, at least, become disciplined in its bid to catch up.
Overcoming the “Black Barrier”
A key stumbling block for the development of hypersonic glide vehicles has been figuring out how to overcome the “black barrier.” This is what scientists have coined that ten-minute communications blackout that all hypersonic vehicles traveling at Mach 5 or higher encounter for at least ten minutes.
The blackout is caused by the formation of a plasma bubble formed around the aircraft through which no conventional signal can penetrate. So, for ten minutes of its critical flight trajectory, typically during the terminal phase, the hypersonic vehicle is traveling down to its target totally out of contact with ground forces. (Incidentally, the upside of the “black barrier” for the attacker is that the plasma bubble can actually mask the radar signatures of incoming hypersonic weapons. This makes it even harder for conventional air defense systems to track, target, and shoot down hypersonic weapons—and it was already plenty hard as-is.)
Overcoming this “black barrier” has been the driving force of many military researchers. In China, they’re playing with shooting sixth-generation wireless internet signals at their hypersonic weapons encountering the “black barrier” phenomenon via powerful lasers.
Northrop Grumman Has a Solution to the Black Barrier Problem
The Americans are toying with a different, slightly less sophisticated method for maintaining access to, and control over, their hypersonic weapons.
As Defense News recently reported, Northrop Grumman tested their inertial measurement unit (IMU) onboard Stratolaunch’s Talon-A glide vehicle during its first two hypersonic flights, in December 2024 and March 2025. By successfully demonstrating their IMU technology on a hypersonic aircraft, the Americans have made a significant step toward challenging their Chinese and Russian foes—and possibly restoring much-needed deterrence with them.
The IMU, according to Defense News, “is designed to allow high-speed systems to navigate without GPS.”
Northrop’s IMU relies upon advanced sensors to understand how a hypersonic weapon is moving through its environment, calculating where the weapon has traveled and where it needs to go to successfully hit its target. Northrop reports that their IMU met, and even exceeded in some cases, all expectations.
There are further tests to be done later this year at Holloman Air Force Base in Utah. Yet it is encouraging that the U.S. military is moving with great alacrity to counter the amazing strides that their foes have made in the critical area of hypersonic weapons.
The Trump Administration Must Make Hypersonic Weapons a Priority
What’s more, these rapid developments are in keeping with the priorities that both President Donald J. Trump and his secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, have explicitly laid out for the U.S. military while they are in charge these next four years.
The ability to develop, mass produce, and reliably deploy hypersonic weapons will be a significant strategic development that gives the United States some degree of its lost edge back.
Whether these moves are sufficient with the finite time the world has before the next great power war erupts is another matter. But the IMU’s success thus far is a major win for an America that allowed itself to fall far too behind its enemies.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / anelo.
