Advancing ‘Ahead of Ready’ with Next Generation Interceptor

Image above: Notional render of Lockheed Martin's Next Generation Interceptor solution.

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has selected Lockheed Martin to deliver the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) - the nation's new homeland missile defense capability.

NGI is part of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system and will provide a new, advanced interceptor for the mission to protect the homeland against limited long range ballistic missile threats from rogue nations. And our mature and reliable interceptor solution will help the warfighter stay ahead of these evolving threats.

"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 current 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.

Our 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 of 2023, we opened a $16.5M engineering facility in North Alabama where development, testing and system integration for NGI is 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.

Revolutionizing U.S. Homeland Missile Defense

Our NGI solution is the solution the MDA requires, and we look forward to partnering with our customer on this new homeland missile defense interceptor for decades to come. With Lockheed Martin's extensive understanding of the end-to-end missile defense mission, we are on the path to Critical Design Review as a trusted and transparent partner.

We are committed to delivering the first NGI in advance of the warfighter's need.