Lockheed Martin has secured a $17 billion deal to develop advanced interceptors designed to protect the United States from potential intercontinental ballistic missile threats, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced on Monday.
In a statement, the MDA said it had selected Lockheed Martin "to continue development of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) through a Critical Design Review, All-Up Round qualification, integration into the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Weapon System, and flight testing."
The next generation of interceptors is aimed at countering existing ballistic missile threats and adapting to evolving technologies from nations such as North Korea and Iran.
"The American defense industry is one of our country's greatest strengths, and choosing between the two different design approaches was very difficult," said MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins. The decision was based on the technical maturity of the solutions, objective contractor-provided performance data, technical rigor in the design development process, and early testing incorporated into the program from the beginning.
"That said, in our effort to 'Go Fast and Think Big,' we are very confident in our decision to go with Lockheed Martin and its plans to develop and field a Next Generation Interceptor that will meet USNORTHCOM's operational needs and be ready for emplacement in 2028," Collins noted.
The deal provides a boost for Lockheed Martin following the U.S. decision to reduce F-35 orders and the Army's decision in February to halt the development of a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, a next-generation helicopter for which Lockheed Martin had proposed a design.
The GMD program office strengthens and maintains both the existing and upcoming GMD Weapon System as an integral part of the Missile Defense System for homeland protection. MDA is implementing several enhancements to the GMD Weapon System that are crucial for countering the ballistic missile arsenals of U.S. adversaries now and in the future. The NGI program is a key component of the upgraded GMD Weapon System, specifically designed to defend against current and emerging ballistic missile threats from rogue nations to the U.S.