Next US Missile Interceptor Program on its Way

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The US Missile Defense Agency released a request for proposal for its Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) which will form the core of America’s homeland missile defense going forward. The RFP aims to downselect to two companies who will then compete for the right to build the interceptor. 

The agency requested $664.1 million in fiscal year 2021 for the NGI program, as part of a $4.9 billion five-year budget plan.

In August, the Pentagon made the surprise decision to cancel the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) program which would have upgraded the U.S. defense system’s interceptors designed to go after ballistic missile defense threats. The Pentagon decided that no more ground-based interceptors for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System (GMD) would be built and all future interceptors that are fielded as part of the GMD system will be the new interceptor – that is, the NGI program.

Critics of the decision to cancel RKV and start over with a new design have raised concerns over the timeline, which could extend past 2030. But speaking in March, MDA head Vice Adm. Jon Hill said that waiting that long for the new capability is “unacceptable from a warfighter view” and “unacceptable to me as a program manager.”

According to defensenews.com, he said once bids are on the table, the agency will be able to take a harder look at schedule and once an award has been made, it will hold industry accountable to meet a shorter timetable.