‘Mind-boggling’: Israel, Ukraine are mere previews of a much larger Pacific missile war, officials warn

‘Mind-boggling’: Israel, Ukraine are mere previews of a much larger Pacific missile war, officials warn
‘Mind-boggling’: Israel, Ukraine are mere previews of a much larger Pacific missile war, officials warn

MDA Chief Lt. Gen. Heath Collins said more maneuverable missiles and drones have changed the missile defense game: Instead of just preparing to hit “fastballs,” he said, “now we’re hitting sliders and curveballs.”

Lockheed wins competition to build next-gen interceptor

Lockheed wins competition to build next-gen interceptor
Lockheed wins competition to build next-gen interceptor

The Missile Defense Agency recently accelerated plans to pick a winning vendor, a decision previously planned for next year.

MDA launches missile defense battle management upgrade with $847M order to Lockheed Martin

MDA launches missile defense battle management upgrade with $847M order to Lockheed Martin
MDA launches missile defense battle management upgrade with $847M order to Lockheed Martin

With a max value of $4.1 billion over five to 10 years, the C2BMC-Next contract will upgrade the global missile defense system to tap new satellite feeds, track hypersonic and cruise missiles, and employ AI — all potential building blocks of a future CJADC2 meta-network.

Next Generation Interceptor selection coming this month, MDA chief says

Next Generation Interceptor selection coming this month, MDA chief says
Next Generation Interceptor selection coming this month, MDA chief says

MDA Chief Lt. Gen. Heath Collins told lawmakers the sharply accelerated schedule was a result of budget constraints paired with agency confidence in its “in-depth” knowledge of competitors Northrop and Lockheed’s designs even before formal design review.

Missile Defense Agency takes $500M cut to $10.4B in FY25

Missile Defense Agency takes $500M cut to $10.4B in FY25
Missile Defense Agency takes $500M cut to $10.4B in FY25

The MDA request includes $105 million for the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), slightly more than the $103.5 requested in FY24. LRDR, deemed a critical capability by US Northern Command (NORTHCOM)/NORAD leaders, will transfer to the Space Force to begin operations in FY25.

SDA, MDA missile tracking demonstration payloads blast off

SDA, MDA missile tracking demonstration payloads blast off
SDA, MDA missile tracking demonstration payloads blast off

The agencies said in their joint announcement that the “launch of the two prototype systems will be followed by two years of on-orbit testing.”

Northrop Grumman jumps key hurdle in Next-Gen Interceptor design

Northrop Grumman jumps key hurdle in Next-Gen Interceptor design
Northrop Grumman jumps key hurdle in Next-Gen Interceptor design

MDA is expected to stage a down-select to one NGI competitor following critical design reviews, now slated for 2025, of both the Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin prototypes. 

SDA’s latest Tracking Layer contract includes 6 ‘fire control’ sats

SDA’s latest Tracking Layer contract includes 6 ‘fire control’ sats
SDA’s latest Tracking Layer contract includes 6 ‘fire control’ sats

An SDA official explained that the six “preliminary fire control” satellites in Tracking Layer Tranche 2 will carry a mix of wide-field-of-view and medium-field-of-view infrared cameras.

DoD needs near-term, ‘persistent’ INDOPACOM hypersonic missile tracking: CSIS

DoD needs near-term, ‘persistent’ INDOPACOM hypersonic missile tracking: CSIS
DoD needs near-term, ‘persistent’ INDOPACOM hypersonic missile tracking: CSIS

“The key word here is persistence,” study author Masao Dahlgren told Breaking Defense. “How do we get persistence over the regions we care about? That hasn’t been as explicitly put into prior work until now. This report puts into sharp relief.”

Space acquisition review calls for cutting red tape, empowering acquisition chief

Space acquisition review calls for cutting red tape, empowering acquisition chief
Space acquisition review calls for cutting red tape, empowering acquisition chief

The Defense Business Board study, however, recommends against folding the NRO and MDA into the Space Force.

Lockheed Martin advances Next-Gen Interceptor design work

Lockheed Martin advances Next-Gen Interceptor design work
Lockheed Martin advances Next-Gen Interceptor design work

The first Lockheed Martin NGI is forecast for delivery to the warfighter as early as fiscal 2027, according to the company.

Boeing nabs DARPA contract for hypersonic interceptor testing

Boeing nabs DARPA contract for hypersonic interceptor testing
Boeing nabs DARPA contract for hypersonic interceptor testing

Under its Glide Breaker project, DARPA wants to develop a prototype kill vehicle to intercept incoming hypersonic vehicles in their glide phase, before they begin high-speed maneuvers.

SDA steps toward global hypersonic missile tracking, plus new targeting capability

SDA steps toward global hypersonic missile tracking, plus new targeting capability
SDA steps toward global hypersonic missile tracking, plus new targeting capability

SDA plans to purchase and deploy a minimum of 54 space vehicles equipped with infrared sensors from up to three vendors under the new solicitation for Tranche 2 of its Tracking Layer constellation.

As US-Japan ramp up joint plan, MDA’s hypersonic interceptor development steps forward

As US-Japan ramp up joint plan, MDA’s hypersonic interceptor development steps forward
As US-Japan ramp up joint plan, MDA’s hypersonic interceptor development steps forward

Washington and Tokyo hope to nail down co-funding details for the Glide Phase Interceptor by next year, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.