Lockheed Martin completed the first flight test of its Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) design as part of the competition to replace the FIM-92 missile.
Lockheed Martin announced on January 13, 2026 the first fire test of its design for the US Army’s Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) competition. The program was launched with the goal of replacing the FIM-92 Stinger Man man-portable air defense system (MANPADS), which has been in service since 1981.
Lockheed Martin is one of the two leading contenders in the competitive replacement program. In fact, both Lockheed Martin and Raytheon received a contract in September 2023 to develop a design for the new interceptor.
First test
He Press release did not mention when the first flight test took place, however, previous statements mentioned that testing was planned to begin in 2025. The latest press release mentioned that the company “has taken the missile from concept to flight in just 26 months since the initial contract award in 2023,” meaning the test could have taken place any time between December 2025 and January 2026, depending on when work began.
“The successful completion of this first flight test is a testament to our team’s agility and drive to deliver critical capabilities on an accelerated schedule. We completed our series of controlled flight tests in less than six months, demonstrating the speed and agility the Lockheed Martin team brings to this exciting competition,” said Chris Murphy, business development leader, Lockheed Martin Advanced Programs.
The test, described as the first in a series, took place at the US Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The image included in the statement shows the missile being fired from a launch tube installed on scaffolding, surrounded by cameras and sensors for data collection.
According to the company, the flight validated the core interceptor subsystems and represented significant design maturation in a relatively short period of time. The design is said to leverage Lockheed Martin’s extensive experience in air and missile defense and also includes artificial intelligence and machine learning features.
“Our team’s shared mission, innovative approach and agility were essential to achieving this milestone,” said Randy Crites, vice president of Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin.
four star
The design appears to be called Quadstar, as mentioned by Murphy in a interview with The war zone last year. The QuadStar missile draws heavily on the company’s previous work on miniature interceptors, including the Miniature Hit and Kill (MHTK) program, to create an aerodynamically efficient and highly maneuverable interceptor with improved seeker and guidance performance.
According to the interview, development focused on integrating advanced search technology into a lightweight package. The goal was to address traditional fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft threats, as well as new small, low-signature air threats such as Group 2 and 3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
In the latest press release, the company said the NGSRI’s design meets all the safety and performance needs of soldiers. The company also reiterates that the weapon is designed to be highly effective against unmanned aerial systems and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, while stating that “NGSRI more than doubles the capability of the legacy system.”
Additionally, Lockheed Martin has developed a new command launch assembly (CLA) to accompany the weapon. This CLA integrates modern optics and digital fire control systems, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable faster target discrimination and engagement while reducing operator workload.
Next Generation Short Range Interceptor
The U.S. Army in recent years launched a modernization push for a successor to the FIM-92 Stinger, arising from evolving threat sets and limitations of legacy systems. The Stinger entered service in 1981 and served for more than 40 years in many conflicts around the world.
The weapon uses infrared guidance with an explosive fragmentation warhead and has proven effective against many targets over the years. However, the age of its technology and production has begun to show its effects, highlighting the need for a new interceptor.
In September 2023, the Army awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon (part of RTX) to develop competitive designs for the Next Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI). The two prototypes are being developed under a competitive rapid prototyping and demonstration framework, with the service planning multiple phases of evaluation before a selection.
According Defense newsThe Army anticipates a five-year development and evaluation cycle for the NGSRI program, prior to low-rate production. The first two years will be dedicated to design, before a “fly-off” competition.
If both competitors pass the takeoff, they will be asked to upgrade the weapon during the next phase, before another takeoff. The service plans to select just one design for production and begin rolling it out in 2028.
The competitor
Like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon It is also moving forward with its NGSRI design, developed in collaboration with Northrop Grumman.
In early 2025, Raytheon announced the successful completion of ten NGSRI subsystem tests designed to verify critical components such as the interceptor’s advanced seeker, command launch assembly (CLA), rocket motor, guidance systems, warhead functionality, aerodynamic control, fuzes, and safety subsystems. These demonstrations precede flight testing, allowing performance and engineering maturity to be verified.
Raytheon says the NGSRI seeker suite demonstrated acquisition ranges exceeding those of legacy Stinger systems, both in laboratory and outdoor conditions. The rocket motor has been jointly developed with Northrop Grumman using highly charged grain (HLG) solid propellant technology, which promises greater interception range and maneuverability.
