Lockheed Martin Opens Next Generation Interceptor Facility in Courtland, Alabama

Lockheed Martin inaugurated an 88,000-square-foot, purpose-built Missile Assembly Building 5 in Courtland, Alabama on June 1. The facility is designed to produce the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) for the Missile Defense Agency as part of the nation’s layered homeland defense architecture.

Digital manufacturing built to scale

The facility consolidates the company’s most sophisticated digital manufacturing tools and adopts a digital twin methodology that reduces production risk from design through sustainment. It is designed to scale rapidly to meet growing Pentagon demand.

Part of a larger investment push

Missile Assembly Building 5 is backed by Lockheed Martin’s broader $250 million investment in North Alabama. The opening also forms part of the company’s $9 billion-plus investment through 2030 to scale munitions production across more than 20 U.S. facilities.

Deterrence through defense

Christopher Jewell, Vice President and Program Manager for NGI at Lockheed Martin, said:

“Think of this as deterrence through defense. It sends a clear signal that threats can be detected, tracked and defeated before they ever reach their intended target.”