Lockheed Martin advances construction on 88,000-square-foot NGI facility

Lockheed Martin advanced construction on an 88,000-square-foot Missile Assembly Building-5 in Courtland, Alabama to support production of the Next Generation Interceptor and to support delivery of the system to the Missile Defense Agency.

The Courtland site currently supported several Army, Navy and Missile Defense Agency programs and employed nearly 500 people, with about 100 expected to work in MAB-5 when it reached full operation; Lockheed Martin's adjacent Troy, Alabama facility was described as supporting hardware integration and large-scale manufacturing for NGI.

MAB-5 was designed for efficiency and repeatability and incorporated practices from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program. The NGI program used a born-digital approach that included digital twin creation, model-based systems engineering, virtual testing and validation, data-driven decision making and tools to increase collaboration among designers, engineers and manufacturers.

Lockheed Martin described a production strategy that combined established design and manufacturing techniques with digital engineering tools and positioned the Courtland and Troy campuses as central to its industrial readiness for national missile defense.

“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.” “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.”

The 88,000-square-foot MAB-5 was on track for completion by early 2026, with a formal grand opening to follow.