Lockheed Martin has reached a major milestone in the development of a next-generation interceptor that can shoot down Chinese and Russian ballistic missiles

Lockheed Martin has reached a major milestone in the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) programme. The company has partnered with the Missile Defence Agency to digitally pre-validate the design.

Here's What We Know

The Next Generation Interceptor missile is an important part of the defence system. NGI will provide defence against Chinese and Russian long-range ballistic missiles. The digital verification assessed the programme's readiness to move into the detailed design phase.

Lockheed Martin intends to conduct a critical design verification in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. This procedure will assess the NGI's readiness to begin flight testing. Delivery of the next-generation interceptor is scheduled for fiscal year 2027.

The US Missile Defence Agency signed a contract with Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne to build the NGI in 2021. The agency intends to acquire 20 missile interceptors starting in 2028.

Source: Lockheed Martin