A Milestone Demonstration for the Army’s Short-Range Air Defense Future
Recently, the Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI) team welcomed the U.S. Army customer to the Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) Center in Grand Prairie, Texas, for a live, full-scale final assembly demonstration.
“Bringing a functional interceptor to life in a demonstration setting underscores our confidence in the end-to-end manufacturing flow we’ve built,” said Chris Murphy, business development lead, Lockheed Martin NGSRI. “It’s a tangible promise to the Army that we can meet operational timelines today and scale tomorrow.”
Lockheed Martin is leaning into additive-manufacturing techniques that lower time spent building each missile.
NGSRI is being engineered under Missiles and Fire Control’s Advanced Programs portfolio, a line of business dedicated to leading the way for future technologies and capabilities. By integrating additive-manufacturing techniques that lower time spent building each missile, the team can increase throughput and security for the customer. The benefits of utilizing advanced infrastructure and supply chain are a direct response to customer asks.
- This allows the team to produce and scale complex missile systems efficiently and reliably.
- The team maintains consistency and quality with every unit delivered.
- Allows for minimal touch-time and increased capacity
- The space was pulled together in just a three-month window, with multi-program scalability to support future asks.
The successful demonstration reinforced Army confidence, positioning the NGSRI program strongly for the next procurement phase.
From Prototype to Production – How We Scale
The U.S. Army customer engages with Lockheed Martin program and production operations employees, learning how Lockheed Martin plans to ramp production.
- Dual-robot work cells increase capacity while reducing manual handling.
- Standardized, interchangeable fixtures mean any trained technician can keep the line moving, mitigating skill-shortage risks and room for error.
- Modular tooling supports simultaneous production of multiple programs, allowing capital and labor to be redirected as priorities shift.
These attributes ensure that when the Army needs to ramp to nearly triple the number of interceptors, we can do so without compromising consistency or quality.
What’s Next?
The Grand Prairie demo was more than a technical showcase; it was a statement of intent. By delivering a live, functional prototype in the AMT environment, Lockheed Martin reaffirmed its commitment to providing the Army with a ready-to-field solution now, while the permanent production line comes online.
“Our goal is simple: give the warfighter mission solutions that deliver a decisive edge in every situation, because we understand the urgency of today’s defense needs and the importance of being able to scale quickly.” said Murphy. “The NGSRI demonstration proves we have the tools, talent and tenacity to make that happen, today and into the future.”
As the Army moves toward the next procurement decision, Lockheed Martin’s NGSRI blends cutting-edge technology, scalable manufacturing and unwavering quality to position it as the premier short-range air defense system for the next generation of combat operations.