The agreements cover development, testing, and integration of SBI capabilities. According to the company, the work is intended to expand coverage, enhance survivability, and strengthen deterrence against emerging missile threats as part of a broader multi-domain layered homeland defense system.
Lockheed Martin says the SBI effort draws on technologies and experience from several existing programs, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, the PAC-3 interceptor, and the Next Generation Interceptor. The company also cites its hypersonic strike systems and missile warning and tracking work as contributing foundations.
Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space, said the company is "committed to delivering an integrated demonstration by 2028" and is drawing on capabilities across its broader industrial network to accelerate delivery. Lightfoot also described the program as part of a drive to make "next generation integrated air and missile defense a reality."
The SBI program is positioned as a space-resident layer within the United States' multi-tiered missile defense framework, complementing ground- and sea-based intercept systems. A space-based interceptor layer would theoretically allow engagement earlier in a missile's flight trajectory, during the boost phase, before warheads and decoys separate.
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