Lockheed Martin Says Next Generation Interceptor Program Achieves Critical System Requirements Review

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) approved its Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program’s System Requirements Review (SRR) – six months after the initial development and demonstration contract award, Lockheed Martin announced today.

The MDA’s NGI program is designed to protect the United States from complex, rogue threat, ballistic missile attacks. The interceptor is an end-to-end design to detect, contain and destroy incoming threats. The SRR is a significant early program milestone, demonstrating that the company is ready to proceed with the initial system design.

The industry team used advanced digital engineering and model-based engineering tools for a modernized approach to the SRR, including new levels of interconnectivity. The digital tools used for the review are also used within the actual NGI program and align with the MDA’s pioneering digital engineering strategy to provide increased trust communications and transparency. This strategy will help the joint MDA and Lockheed Martin team make decisions faster, enhance security, increase affordability and integration.

The NGI will serve as a first line of a layered missile defense architecture against evolving threats. The first interceptor is forecasted to be fielded in 2027.

Lockheed Martin-Aerojet team and a Northrop Grumman-Raytheon team are both are competing for the opportunity to produce and deliver the NGI.

The NGIs are likely to operate with multiple kill vehicles, meaning a single interceptor will operate and release several actual interceptors that collide with and destroy multiple threats, The National Interest reports. This technique enables a weapon to detect threats from decoys and countermeasures while firing multiple interceptors at a volley of enemy ICBMs traveling through the air.