Successful Motor Case Burst Test Keeps Lockheed Martin’s NGI Program on Track Lockheed Martin has achieved a key milestone in the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program by successfully completing the burst test of its second-stage motor case. The test involved pressurizing a reinforced, water-filled vessel inside the carbon-fiber motor case beyond anticipated launch conditions to validate its structural integrity. According to the company, the motor case endured the required stress levels before failure, confirming its capability to withstand launch forces while providing the thrust necessary for mission performance. The achievement paves the way for the program’s critical design review later this year and supports the goal of deploying the NGI by 2030. Designed for the Missile Defense Agency, the NGI will replace the aging Ground-Based Interceptor fleet with a more advanced homeland missile defense system incorporating modular architecture, multiple kill vehicles, enhanced target discrimination, and digital engineering technologies. In support of production, Lockheed Martin recently inaugurated Missile Assembly Building 5 in Courtland, Alabama, where the NGI will be assembled to meet future US missile defense requirements.
