On April 15, the Missile Defense Agency selected Lockheed Martin to deliver the nation’s new homeland missile defense capability, the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI).

Lockheed Martin, as the MDA’s NGI prime contractor, will provide the most modern, reliable, and technically advanced interceptor in the history of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. The multiple-kill vehicle interceptor is designed to protect the homeland against long-range ballistic missile threats from rogue nations.

“Lockheed Martin is proud to partner with the MDA on a revolutionary interceptor to advance our nation’s security. We are committed to delivering reliable interceptors that will seamlessly integrate with the GMD system and can rapidly evolve with the threat,” said Sarah Hiza, vice president and general manager of Strategic and Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin. “We stand ready to support our customer for decades to come with a solution capable of protecting the nation from current and future threats.”

Lockheed Martin remains focused on providing MDA with an interceptor solution that is capable, mature, reliable, and affordable. The program continues on its path to the Critical Design Review, integration with the broader weapon system, and flight testing.

Lockheed Martin’s NGI program embraces digital tools, processes, and technologies as an enabler to meet our customers’ production needs today and well into the future.

Lockheed Martin is committed to delivering the first NGI in advance of the warfighter’s needs.

Artist Notional Rendering of NGI in flight. Photo credit: Lockheed Martin.Path To Development

• In 2019, MDA announced the NGI competition to replace the current, aging ballistic missile defense interceptor.
• Lockheed Martin was selected by the MDA in March 2021 to compete in the development phase of the NGI acquisition program.
• In October 2021, the MDA approved Lockheed Martin’s NGI System Requirements Review (SRR)– six months after the initial contract award.
• By August 2022, we announced that our NGI program team validated prototype communications technology for in-flight situational awareness and, later that year, delivered NGI’s first flight software package ahead of schedule.
• One year later, in August 2023, a series of subsystem Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) validated the design for all elements of our NGI solution.
• On September 29, 2023, our NGI program completed an All Up Round PDR in partnership with the MDA, which assessed the program’s readiness and maturity to continue into the detailed design phase.
• In November 2023, Lockheed opened a $16.5M engineering facility in North Alabama, where development, testing, and system integration for NGI are taking place.
• By November 2023, we also completed Knowledge Point 1 ahead of schedule – an MDA acquisition milestone demonstrating significant maturation across critical technologies and manufacturing readiness and transitioning the program into its product development phase.

Digital Enablement

With our NGI solution, we have built-in efficiencies, upgradability, and sustainability so the warfighter can stay ahead of ready.

Since the program’s inception, the company’s embrace and integration of digital tools, processes, and technologies is an enabler to meet our customers’ production needs today and well into the future. All-digital development establishes a common digital thread – a foundation to enable accelerated testing, improve production processes, and more.

Partnering For Future Of Missile Defense 

Lockheed Martin has an extensive understanding of the end-to-end missile defense mission and is committed to maintaining a positive and transparent relationship with the MDA.

For NGI, the company is leveraging investments in kill vehicle technology, combat-proven exo-atmospheric threat intercept experience, and nearly seven decades of providing the nation with strategic missile systems.

The company pioneered hit-to-kill intercept technologies our customers rely on today. New and modern Lockheed Martin facilities, built for the homeland missile defense mission, recently opened in Huntsville, Alabama, and under construction in Courtland, Alabama, represent corporate dedication to NGI.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com.