Long Wall, an aerospace and defense company based in Long Beach, landed a $75 million contract last month from the Missile Defense Agency for its Cyclops interceptor. The funding will support flight testing of the flagship product, which Long Wall announced in December.
Missile defense systems typically cost more than the missiles themselves – a problem the company’s Cyclops attempts to solve with mass-produced interceptors. The company said its production facilities, spanning over more than 160,000 square feet, could produce over 100 units a year.
“Demand for interceptors has surged, while low production capacity and high unit costs remain major challenges to replenish expanded magazine depth,” Dan Piemont, co-founder and chief executive of Long Wall, said in a statement.
Long Wall is also looking to invest $75 million more to further the design and development of the interceptor, which started its buildup in 2024. Rebranded from satellite launch operator ABL Space Systems last February, the startup also has operations in Alaska and Alabama.
‘Golden Dome’
The contract is part of the ongoing effort from the U.S. Department of Defense to scale its “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative.
By April, the U.S. Space Force had given out $3.2 billion worth of agreements to 12 companies to develop space-based interceptor prototypes, reported Space News.
The project is expected to cost more than $185 billion, plus $1.2 trillion to maintain, re- plenish and sustain it over two decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
