Ukraine’s ability to thwart Russia’s military advance has put a spotlight on a vital aspect of modern warfare – missile technology.
Consider the horrific damage Ukraine’s Javelin missiles had on Russia’s military vehicles, where photos from the frontlines showed that Ukraine destroyed dozens of Russian T-72 tanks and BMP3 armored fighting vehicles.
Those weapons were part of the 17,000 antitank weapons the U.S. and NATO shipped to Ukraine, according to the New York Times.
The feat was so impressive, says a report by Reuters, that European leaders have approached the U.S. to buy additional American-made drones and missiles.
Now, the Europeans also want to get their hands on U.S. missile defense systems in what will prove to be a very significant move for American defense companies (and one name, in particular).
The U.S. has the best platforms using the most advanced technology in the world to protect the homeland from missile attacks.
Today, I want to tell you about a storied leader in the field that stands to gain from the sales and is already running rings around the market…
Every Country Wants to Get Their Hands on This Company’s Next-Gen Defense Tech
The 21st Century has ushered in what the military calls fourth generation warfare, or “4GW.”
First generation warfare was when gunpowder changed the weaponry and militaries became well armed with new technology in large numbers.
Second generation warfare began after the Napoleonic Wars as the industrial revolution began and industrial might was brought to the battlefield – including support logistics needed to fuel, rearm, feed, and relieve the fighting forces. (Think WWI.)
Third generation warfare was the next step during WWII and toward the end of the 20th Century. Weapons systems became more advanced, and wars could be waged with global supply chains.
Now, 4GW is all about the networked battlefield and how technologies like unmanned vehicles can operate in hostile spaces without committing troops – all linked in real time to air, sea, and land units.
This technology applies both to how nations defend themselves and attack. And one piece of technology that has continued to be both a sword and a shield is the missile.
Where the longbow was a game changer in 1GW, now missiles operate at hypersonic speeds – Russia is said to have used their hypersonic cruise missiles in Ukraine. But there are also anti-missile missiles.
These new defenders can be mobile, sit in silos, or orbit in space. And given Russia’s new interest in rebuilding the Soviet bloc, Europe is becoming increasingly interested in more missile systems to prevent any belligerent moves on Putin’s part.
NATO partners and other European nations are now signaling their interest in U.S.-built drones and missiles.
The good news is, most counter-missile platforms are highly effective and credible deterrents for conventional missiles that fly from Russia or other troublemakers.
The bad news is, a new generation of hypersonic missiles make that job much more complicated because they move so fast (and if they’re cruise missiles, low) that it’s tough to track, target, and destroy them once they’re launched.
What’s more, space has become a new threat from missiles. Using the Earth’s rotation (about 1,000 mph), you can send a rocket out of the atmosphere into zero gravity and drop it down on the other side of the planet in a matter of minutes.
That’s why it’s a smart move to add Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) to your portfolio now.
Northrop Grumman is a combination of a number of legendary companies that have been integral to the aerospace and defense sectors for decades. Grumman made all the airplanes for the U.S. Navy during WWII – and with the leftover aluminum made some pretty cool canoes as well. It also made ballistic missiles and the Apollo Lunar Module.
It’s no surprise, then, that the company as we know it today is well known for its innovative stealth bombers (the B-1 and B-21), as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) that are used as targets as well as for C4ISR (command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance).
Because of its specialties, Northrop Grumman is also highly regarded for its propulsion systems. It’s one of the companies that’s building the massive SLS rocket for NASA’s Artemis moon program. Northrop Grumman is the go-to company for the nation’s ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), too.
A Focused Company for the Decades
Recently, the Air Force requested $59 billion in research and procurement spending over six years for its two top defense programs – a new bomber and a new ICBM.
And NASA just ordered six new missions for SpaceX and Northrop Grumman to resupply the International Space Station.
What’s more, Northrop Grumman just announced its newest system to defeat hypersonic missiles, called the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) system.
The Polar OPIR monitors the Arctic in a difficult elliptical orbit to constantly monitor any missile launch activity over the pole. The company compares it to a sniper’s partner, the spotter. The spotter takes a broad view while the sniper focuses on the target.
The Polar OPIR alerts lower satellites of any incursion (the sniper scope) and then those satellites relay the information to anti-missiles on land or at sea.
A Focused Company for the Decades
And given where we are now with Russia, Northrop Grumman will only gain more weapons sales to the U.S. and our NATO allies.
It can expect steady long-term sales of weapons across the board, but particularly for missile defense, given the possibility of similar challenges on the horizon for one of a number of potential actors.
Northrop Grumman is a steady earnings gainer that has crushed the market this year. With the S&P 500 up more than 5% year-to-date, NOC is up more than 19%.
This is a great way to cash in on the free world’s need for robust missile defense with a stock you can count on for the long haul.
Cheers and good investing,
— Michael A. Robinson
Source: Strategic Tech Investor