Here’s who will compete head-to-head to build the next missile defense interceptor

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to include comments from Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

WASHINGTON – Pentagon selects Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to compete in a next-generation interceptor to replace ground interceptors in Alaska and California that are designed to defend the United States against ballistic missile attacks from North Korea and Iran.

Boeing submitted a bid with General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems and Aerojet Rocketdyne team members to build the next-generation interceptor (NGI), but was not chosen to continue the effort. The company has an extensive history with the ground-based Midcourse defense system in effect at Fort Greely, Alaska and at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and has held the development and support contract for years.

The contract has an estimated maximum value of $ 1.6 billion by fiscal year 2022 and will carry both projects in the technology development and risk reduction phase of the program, according to a March 23 Pentagon announcement. “This award will ensure that NGI is an effective and efficient part of an integrated missile defense solution,” the statement said.

The Pentagon announced in August 2019 its intention to build a new NGI after the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) program – which will update the GBI with the ability to go for reliability after more complex threats – was abruptly killed. RKV has struggled with insurmountable technical problems that have led to program delays and cost increases.

About eight months later, the MDA launched a call for proposals for its NGI, with the aim of selecting two companies that will compete for the right to build the interceptor.

A Northrop Grumman and Raytheon team have announced their intention to bid together in May 2020.

Lockheed Martin teamed up with Aerojet Rocketdyne in October. The company announced plans to buy Aerojet in December.

“NGI is the result of the first holistic technical assessment of territorial defenses that the department has conducted since the beginning of the system’s initial operations in 2004,” said Vice President Jon Hill, director of the missile defense agency.

“By planning to transport two suppliers through the development of technology, MDA will maximize the benefits of competition to deliver the most efficient and reliable homeland missile as soon as possible. Once launched, this new interceptor for the country’s defense will be able to overcome the progress of the threats expected in the 2030s and beyond, “he added.

The down selection of two competitors for NGI was expected late last year, but approval of the plan was postponed until the secretary of defense and deputy secretary of defense of the new Biden administration were in place.

The NGI program “is essential for the protection of our nation. Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies bring an innovative solution that meets the complexity of threat with advanced technologies and cutting-edge industry knowledge, responding to all threat scenarios, ”said Scott Lehr, Northrop Vice President and CEO of Missile Launch and Defense, and Bryan Rosselli Raytheon’s vice president of strategic missile defense said in a statement to Defense News.

“We are honored to be selected by MDA as the first contractor to develop the NGI system to protect our nation from advanced missile attacks,” Lehr said, adding, “There is a critical timeline for the deployment of this capability, and our team brings together top talent for missile defense, agile design and state-of-the-art manufacturing practices and operational factories to support our MDA and our nation’s defense against these evolving threats. ”

“We bring together next-generation technologies – digital engineering and game-changing discrimination – for an extremely advanced interceptor,” said Rosselli. “This team is based on an unparalleled experience, representing all 47 exo-atmospheric interceptions in the United States. With this knowledge, we also adopt innovative ways to accelerate operational implementation, while reducing risk. ”

Raytheon was the developer of RKV as a Boeing subcontractor.

“We are excited and proud that MDA has entrusted Lockheed Martin with leading the development of this game-changing system that will greatly improve our nation’s security for decades to come,” said Sarah Reeves, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s NGI program. statement to Defense News.

Lockheed’s program will be headquartered in Huntsville, and Reeves will lead the team.

Boeing told Defense News in a statement that it was “disappointed that the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) did not advance our team into the next phase of the competition in developing the next generation interception competition (NGI). Our proposal to upgrade the current ground defense system (GMD) from the ground capitalized on the company’s 60 years of experience with missile and weapon systems to provide an NGI solution that emphasizes an innovative design with increased flexibility and modularity. . ”

The company added: “Although it is premature to comment on the next steps until we attend the formal briefing, it is important to note that today’s announcement has no impact on our commitment to the MDA and the GMD mission. Our dedicated employees and partners will continue to manage the current system and continuously explore ways to support the war fighter in an evolving threat environment. ”