COURTLAND, ALABAMA — June 02, 2026 : Lockheed Martin has inaugurated a new missile production facility in Courtland, Alabama, dedicated to manufacturing the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), a system designed to strengthen the United States’ homeland missile defense network. The company officially opened the 88,000-square-foot Missile Assembly Building 5 (MAB-5) on June 1, 2026, marking a major step in transitioning the NGI program from development to production.
The facility has been built specifically to manufacture the interceptor that will replace the aging Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs) deployed under the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. These systems have supported U.S. homeland ballistic missile defense since the early 2000s.
The opening of MAB-5 is expected to support the Pentagon’s missile defense modernization plans under the “Golden Dome for America” initiative, aimed at integrating advanced missile defense systems into a layered national security framework.
Next Generation Interceptor Program
The NGI is being developed for the Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system to counter increasingly advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) threats. In 2024, the Missile Defense Agency awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth approximately $17 billion to develop and deliver 20 NGIs.
The interceptor is intended to counter evolving threats, including missiles equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), advanced decoys, maneuverable warheads, and other countermeasures designed to complicate interception.
According to Lockheed Martin, the NGI is designed to improve target discrimination, tracking, and engagement capabilities. It also features a modular open-system architecture, allowing upgrades to be integrated while the missile remains deployed, reducing the need for lengthy removal from operational silos.
Christopher Jewell, vice president and program manager for NGI at Lockheed Martin, said the interceptor’s digital foundation is designed to support future technology integration without disrupting operational readiness.
Initial deliveries are targeted for 2028, while flight testing is expected to begin in 2029.
Courtland Facility and Digital Manufacturing
Missile Assembly Building 5 (MAB-5) has been established at the site of the former Courtland Army Airfield, activated in 1942 to train pilots during the Second World War. The location has since developed into a defense manufacturing center supporting missile and aerospace production.
Lockheed Martin said the facility introduces digitally enabled missile manufacturing through automation, advanced engineering systems, and virtual modeling tools.
A key feature of the facility is “digital twin” technology, which creates a virtual replica of each interceptor during production. This system links design and engineering data directly to factory operations, helping engineers simulate performance and identify hardware issues before physical production is completed.
The production line also integrates automated workflows, robotic assembly, and precision tooling to improve consistency and support scalable manufacturing.
Investment in Alabama Defense Manufacturing
The opening of MAB-5 forms part of Lockheed Martin’s broader $250 million investment in northern Alabama. Operations in Courtland will be supported by the company’s Troy, Alabama, facility, which will contribute hardware integration for the interceptor program.
U.S. Representative Dale Strong said the investment reinforces Courtland’s role in supporting skilled industrial jobs and defense manufacturing linked to national security programs.
Role in the Golden Dome for America Initiative
The NGI program is closely linked to the Department of Defense’s “Golden Dome for America” initiative, which seeks to establish an integrated missile defense architecture capable of responding to modern ballistic missile threats.
The initiative aims to combine advanced interceptors such as NGI with next-generation space-based tracking systems, ground-based radars, and command networks connected through artificial intelligence-enabled battle management systems.
During the inauguration, Gen. Mike Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome program, described the Courtland facility as part of the nation’s “Arsenal of Freedom” and emphasized the importance of expanding manufacturing capacity for homeland missile defense.
With Missile Assembly Building 5 now operational, Lockheed Martin has expanded production capacity for the Next Generation Interceptor program as the United States moves to modernize its homeland ballistic missile defense system.
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