MDA selects two teams for Next Generation Interceptor development
The Next Generation Interceptor will supersede the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system (pictured) in the US. (Photo: MDA)
Contracts for NGI development, including flight test options for the new long-range missile defence system, will be completed by 2029.
Teams led by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman each received contracts on 23 March from the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to design the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI).
Lockheed Martin is partnered by Aerojet, while Northrop Grumman is teamed with Raytheon.
The contract for both teams, including flight test options for the new long-range missile defence system, will be completed by 2029.
The aim is to protect the US against intercontinental ballistic missile threats in the 2030s.
Neither Northrop Grumman nor Raytheon disclosed the value of their NGI development contract, although the DoD on 23 March announced it is worth $3.93 million. Lockheed Martin disclosed that its deal is valued at $3.7 billion.
In May 2020, the DoD launched a competition for NGI, in search of a new guided missile and warhead as an improvement on the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system in the US.
Incumbent GMD contractor Boeing has not been selected for NGI. Raytheon and Aerojet manufactured the kill vehicle for GMD, while Lockheed Martin stated that it will apply its experience on THAAD and the USN Trident programme to NGI.
This article was amended on 24 March with the contract value for Northrop Grumman.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence]()
“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence
In Conversation… Shephard’s Andrew White talks to Zafer Şen, CEO and co-founder of OBSS, about the future of command-and-control software in the age of artificial intelligence, and his company’s ambitions in the UK defence market.
-
![“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money]()
“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money
Outside investment and the direction in which venture money flows may reveal what defence will buy years before formal programmes begin.
-
![Canada’s new military drone marketplace targets rapid acquisition pipeline]()
Canada’s new military drone marketplace targets rapid acquisition pipeline
The Department of National Defence expects initial contracts to deliver thousands of uncrewed systems, but has yet to establish the quantities, capability mix or deadline behind Ottawa’s promised tenfold expansion.
-
![Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons]()
Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons
The company told Shephard that Ukraine is operating modified Protector weapon stations originally supplied for armoured vehicles, with human operators authorising engagements from hundreds of kilometres away.
-
![UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour]()
UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
-
![Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era]()
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
