MDA to Select Contractor Advancing to Next NGI Development Phase

The Missile Defense Agency will soon name the contractor that will advance to the next phase of a program focused on developing the next homeland missile defense interceptor.

In 2021, the MDA awarded Next Generation Interceptor contracts to a Northrop Grumman-Raytheon team and a Lockheed Martin-Aerojet Rocketdyne team to develop the weapon system.

According to MDA head Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, a 2024 Wash100 awardee and a past Potomac Officers Club speaker, a winner is expected to be identified in the coming weeks to move forward to the program’s product development phase in May, Breaking Defense reported.

Previously, the MDA planned to select the winner in 2025 following the NGI critical design review. In a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Collins told lawmakers that the MDA accelerated the NGI development process, noting that both industry teams have completed preliminary design reviews.

He said the selected team will continue developing the weapon system and focus on testing, producing and fielding the NGI, acknowledging that the decision to move forward to the production phase comes with risks.

According to Collins, the MDA believes the level of risk is acceptable based on the department’s standard.