The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded California-based Long Wall a $75 million contract to complete testing of its Cyclops interceptor. Initially developed with private funding, the system is designed to strike enemy missiles during the middle phase of their flight.
Long Wall founder Dan Piedmont described the award as a significant commitment and a first for long-range missile defense.
From launch vehicles to missile interception
Long Wall was formally established in February 2025, when former launch company ABL Space Systems rebranded and refocused its work on missile defense.
The company unveiled Cyclops in December 2025. The liquid-fueled interceptor is designed to engage targets outside the atmosphere and is intended for mass production.
A compact interceptor built with commercial technology
Long Wall says Cyclops can fit inside a shipping container, allowing it to be launched from either land-based or sea-based platforms. Its production relies largely on commercially available components and technologies, including 3D printing.
The company has already invested its own capital in developing the system and plans to continue funding the work during the MDA contract. Long Wall said it would contribute a further $75 million in private funding toward Cyclops’s design and development.
The contract’s duration has not been disclosed. Long Wall referred questions about the schedule to the U.S. agency, which had not responded by the time the information was published.
MDA explores defenses for different stages of missile flight
Cyclops is a midcourse interceptor, a category that also includes the U.S. Ground-Based Interceptor system, built by Northrop Grumman and already in service.
At the same time, the MDA is examining lower-cost options for destroying missiles after they reenter the atmosphere and approach their targets. In August, the agency awarded X-Bow Systems a contract worth nearly $11 million to flight-test a solid-fuel interceptor being considered as a potential alternative to the U.S. Army’s Patriot missiles.
