US Missile Defense Gets Boost as New Interceptor Motor Passes Key Test
The test validated thrust, chamber pressure and combustion stability as the program moves toward critical design review and 2030 fielding.
- On Monday, August 10, 2026, Lockheed Martin announced its Stage 2 rocket motor for the Next Generation Interceptor program successfully completed a static fire test inside a high-vacuum chamber replicating low-Earth orbit conditions.
- Simultaneously, the company debuted Strigo, a modular line of missile and sensor hardware covering radio-frequency sensors and missile datalinks, designed to accelerate weapon development timelines.
- With a $250 million internal investment, the Strigo Product Center functions as a storefront for "ready-now and near-ready" hardware adaptable to customer needs, moving concepts from sketch to tested solution in months.
- Stacy Kubicek, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Sensors and Global Sustainment, said the center's emphasis on early research allows the company to "test and deploy new solutions at unprecedented speed."
- Christopher Jewell, Lockheed Martin NGI vice president, confirmed the test milestone supports the Critical Design Review and strengthens confidence the NGI motor will meet performance requirements for fielding by 2030.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Lockheed tests key motor for new missile interceptor
Lockheed Martin completed a static-fire test of the Stage 2 rocket motor for its Next Generation Interceptor inside a high-vacuum chamber that replicates conditions in low-Earth orbit, the company said. The motor, built by L3Harris Technologies, completed a full-duration burn during the test. Lockheed Martin said the test confirmed thrust, chamber pressure and combustion stability, […]
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US missile defense gets boost as new interceptor motor passes key test
Replicating the cold, airless void of space inside a high-vacuum chamber on Earth, defense giants Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies have cleared a massive technical hurdle in the race to protect the American homeland. The companies successfully completed a static hot-fire test for the Stage 2 solid rocket motor of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). It was a demanding proof-of-concept run. Through simulated low-Earth orbit conditions,…
NGI team conducts test of motor associated with program's schedule slip, sets up FY-27 qualification round
The Next Generation Interceptor contractor team said it has conducted a ground test of a solid-rocket motor that has bedeviled the homeland missile defense program, contributing to a schedule slip of at least two years during a period in which U.S. Northern Command has voiced growing concern over North Korea's advancing missile arsenal. Lockheed Martin, the NGI prime contractor, said Aug. 10 that the Stage 2 rocket motor completed a static fire …
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