Long Wall Lands $75 Million Interceptor Contract

The Missile Defense Agency awarded the Long Beach aerospace firm funding to flight test its Cyclops interceptor.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Space

Long Wall Lands $75 Million Interceptor Contract

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Long Wall, an aerospace and defense company based in Long Beach, received a $75 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency last month. The award funds flight testing of its Cyclops interceptor, which the company announced in December.

Why it matters

Demand for missile interceptors has surged while production capacity remains low and unit costs high. Cyclops is designed around mass-produced interceptors intended to reduce missile defense costs, a goal central to the Department of Defense's Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

The Missile Defense Agency contract is $75 million, and Long Wall says its facilities span over 160,000 square feet and could produce more than 100 Cyclops units a year. The timeline for flight test results and the interceptor's performance against targets has not been disclosed.

The players

Long Wall

Long Wall is an aerospace and defense company headquartered in Long Beach, formerly known as ABL Space Systems.

Missile Defense Agency

The Missile Defense Agency is the U.S. Department of Defense component responsible for developing and fielding the nation's missile defense systems.

U.S. Space Force

The U.S. Space Force is the military service branch responsible for space operations, including space-based missile defense prototypes.

The details

Long Wall was rebranded from ABL Space Systems last February and has operations in Alaska and Alabama. The company is investing an additional $75 million in the interceptor's design and development on top of the government award.

December: Long Wall announced the Cyclops interceptor.
February: Long Wall rebranded from ABL Space Systems.
April: The U.S. Space Force gave $3.2 billion in agreements to 12 companies for space-based interceptor prototypes.
Last month: The Missile Defense Agency awarded Long Wall the $75 million contract.

Big Picture

The Cyclops award sits within the Golden Dome initiative, which is projected to cost more than $185 billion and up to $1.2 trillion over two decades to sustain. Long Wall's low-cost, mass-produced interceptor approach targets the cost pressures that the Golden Dome program faces.

For readers following defense spending, the contract signals how federal missile defense dollars are flowing to smaller, newer aerospace firms. The program's cost trajectory will shape future budget debates over national defense priorities.

The takeaway

Cheaper, mass-produced interceptors could change how the United States pays for missile defense. Whether Cyclops delivers on its cost goals will become clearer as flight testing proceeds.