Lockheed Martin Advances NGI Program With Successful Second-Stage Motor Case Test Lockheed Martin has successfully completed the burst test of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) second-stage motor case, marking another milestone toward the program’s critical design review. During the evaluation, engineers inserted a reinforced water-filled vessel into the carbon-fiber motor case and subjected it to pressures exceeding expected launch conditions. The structure met the required performance standards before failure, validating its ability to withstand launch stresses while generating the thrust needed to deliver the interceptor’s payload. The successful test keeps the NGI program on schedule for a critical design review later this year and supports plans to field the interceptor by 2030. Developed for the Missile Defense Agency, the NGI will replace the existing Ground-Based Interceptors protecting the US from long-range ballistic missile threats. Featuring a modular design, multiple kill vehicles, advanced target discrimination, and digital engineering, the interceptor is intended to improve reliability and accelerate development. The program is further supported by Lockheed Martin’s new Missile Assembly Building 5 in Courtland, Alabama, which will manufacture the NGI and expand production capacity for future homeland missile defense needs.
