Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has been selected to develop the Missile Defense Agency’s next-generation missile interceptor system designed to defend the U.S. homeland against intercontinental ballistic missile threats.
The company said Monday it will serve as the prime contractor on the Next Generation Interceptor program and spearhead the system’s critical design review, integration in the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense weapon system and flight testing.
“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.
In a separate announcement, MDA said the selection was based on technical maturity, contractor-provided performance data, technical rigor in the design development phase and early testing efforts.
Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director of MDA, expressed confidence in Lockheed and its plans to develop and deploy an NGI capability that will meet U.S. Northern Command’s operational needs beginning in 2028.
Lockheed has partnered with Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX), on the NGI capability development under a potential $3.7 billion contract awarded in March 2021.
In February, the company completed the first knowledge point of the NGI program, keeping the program on track for the critical design review phase.
