Northrop Grumman’s Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) team has completed its All-Up Round Preliminary Design Review, achieving the milestone one year earlier than anticipated.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has confirmed that the missile system can maintain full capability even in sub-optimal environments.
The review took the interceptor’s full integration approach into account, confirming that the team is ready to move into more advanced phases of development.
On-site interactive demonstrators and full-scale digital models were presented to the MDA during the presentation. Raytheon, NGI’s strategic partner, also provided test equipment that included kill vehicle and sensor hardware.
Northrop Grumman launch and missile defense systems vice president and general manager Wendy Williams shared that the accomplishment underlines the company’s push for timely advancements for the military.
“We are doing everything we can to accelerate our schedule while maintaining the deep technical rigor for which we are known. Northrop Grumman is committed to delivering this crucial capability into the hands of our warfighters as soon as possible, while meeting the key mission requirements,” she said.
Deployment for the first operational interceptor is scheduled to go as early as 2027.
A Next-Generation Solution
The NGI’s initial design phase began in 2021 after Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin signed a $1.6-billion contract with the Department of Defense.
The weapon system will utilize a network of radars, command and control systems, and space censors to neutralize intercontinental ballistic missiles from would-be aggressors once implemented.
It will be a part of the US Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, an anti-warhead network of detectors and interceptors that target missiles during the midcourse phase.
