Defense Speak Interpreted: Will Defense Become a Totally New Supplier for Drone Electronics?
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
Lockheed Martin has announced construction on a state-of-the-art facility that will support production of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) is nearing completion.
The 88,000-square-foot Missile Assembly Building-5 (MAB-5) is on track for completion by early 2026, with a formal grand opening to follow.
This purpose-built facility is a critical piece of Lockheed Martin's commitment to delivering the NGI system to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) with speed, reliability and precision. NGI is the future of homeland missile defense, designed to defeat evolving ballistic missile threats to the United States.
"We're building out nearly 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and production spaces in Courtland dedicated to the NGI program," said Johnathon Caldwell, vice president and general manager of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems at Lockheed Martin. "The new Missile Assembly Building represents a major investment in our ability to produce the NGI at scale and meet the government's need for rapid delivery."
Purpose-Built for Speed, Scale and Security
MAB-5 is designed with efficiency and repeatability in mind, incorporating best practices from high-reliability programs like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The NGI itself is designed for producibility, with a digital twin approach that helps reduce risk across the product lifecycle, from design through manufacturing to sustainment.
Lockheed Martin is applying decades of experience to its NGI production strategy, combining proven design and manufacturing techniques with next-generation digital engineering tools. The company has a strong legacy of delivering highly complex defense systems, and NGI continues that tradition.
Digital Engineering Drives Down Risk, Speeds Up Delivery
"Born digital," NGI leverages advanced modeling and simulation as part of its advanced engineering. It also means that Lockheed Martin has used advanced digital engineering tools and techniques to design, test and validate the system. This approach allows for:
- Digital twin creation: A digital replica of the system is created, which can be used to simulate and analyze its behavior, performance and interactions.
- Model-based systems engineering: The system is designed and optimized using digital models, which enables early detection and mitigation of potential issues.
- Virtual testing and validation: The system is tested and validated using digital simulations, reducing the need for physical prototypes and minimizing the risk of errors.
- Data-driven decision making: Data and analytics are used to inform design decisions, optimize performance and predict maintenance needs.
- Increased collaboration: Digital tools enable real-time collaboration and communication among stakeholders, including designers, engineers and manufacturers.
"This capability was designed for performance, but more importantly, it was also designed for manufacturability, reliability and speed," Caldwell said. "As the backbone to a multilayered integrated national defense system, producing NGI at speed is paramount to the mission."
Economic Growth Opportunities
The Courtland site currently supports several Army, Navy and Missile Defense Agency programs and employs nearly 500 people. Approximately 100 of those employees will work in MAB-5 once it becomes fully operational.
"The next generation of our nation's defense systems will include critical capabilities built in Courtland, Alabama, by hardworking men and women who will bring their skill, ingenuity and pride to protecting our country," said U.S. Rep. Dale Strong. "This new state-of-the-art facility will speed up production, create good-paying jobs and help drive economic growth in the community. Projects like this show that Courtland's best days are still ahead."
Lockheed Martin's adjacent facility in Troy, Alabama, will also play a key role in NGI production, supporting hardware integration and large-scale manufacturing. Together, the Troy and Courtland campuses represent the core of Lockheed Martin's commitment to national missile defense and industrial readiness.
