At the AUSA 2025 Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., Lockheed Martin unveiled its Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI), a new missile system aimed at replacing the aging FIM-92 Stinger in U.S. Army service. Designed to address emerging aerial threats such as Group 3 UAVs and low-flying cruise missiles, NGSRI represents a significant leap in SHORAD capability. The program is part of the Army’s broader modernization effort to counter increasingly agile and complex threats in contested airspace.
Lockheed’s NGSRI: Designed for a New Threat Landscape
The NGSRI was developed under an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement awarded by the U.S. Army in July 2023 to multiple vendors including RTX (Raytheon), Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The goal was to rapidly prototype a replacement for the FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS with improved lethality and survivability against modern aerial threats.
Lockheed’s solution—revealed publicly for the first time at AUSA 2025—is a vertically launched interceptor optimized for integration into existing SHORAD platforms such as the Stryker-based M-SHORAD system and potentially future IFV-based launchers. It is designed to intercept:
- Group 2–3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS)
- Cruise missiles flying below radar coverage
- Rotary-wing aircraft
The interceptor reportedly uses an active radar seeker paired with datalink-guided midcourse updates and can engage targets beyond visual range—an improvement over IR-guided Stingers with limited range and susceptibility to countermeasures.
Technical Features and Integration Pathways
While full specifications remain classified or undisclosed due to competitive sensitivities among vendors still participating in downselect phases, several key features of Lockheed’s NGSRI have emerged:
- Vertical Launch Capability: Enables rapid all-azimuth engagement without repositioning launchers.
- Active Radar Seeker: Provides fire-and-forget capability with resilience against flares or IR jamming.
- Datalink Support: Allows networked cueing from external sensors such as Sentinel radar or future LTAMDS derivatives.
- C-UAS Optimization: Tuned warhead effects for small drone swarms or loitering munitions.
The missile is intended to be compatible with current M-SHORAD launchers but may also be adapted for fixed-site defense or mobile platforms like JLTVs or optionally manned vehicles under development within OMFV programs.
A Replacement for Stinger—and More
The aging FIM-92 Stinger has served since the late Cold War era but faces obsolescence due to limited range (~4 km), IR-only guidance, and lack of effectiveness against smaller drones or cruise missiles with low thermal signatures. The Ukraine conflict has further highlighted these limitations as both sides deploy large volumes of FPV drones and loitering munitions that overwhelm legacy SHORAD systems.
The NGSRI is not merely a one-for-one replacement but aims to expand mission sets by offering greater engagement envelopes (estimated >8 km range), multi-spectral targeting options, and better integration into layered air defense networks via IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System).
The Competitive Landscape: Raytheon & Northrop Still in Play
The U.S. Army has not yet downselected a final vendor for full-rate production of the NGSRI program. Raytheon Technologies—maker of the original Stinger—is also competing with an upgraded variant featuring dual-mode seekers (IR + RF) while Northrop Grumman is believed to be offering a modular design leveraging experience from its XM1211 C-UAS interceptor work.
A formal shoot-off between prototypes is expected in FY2026 at White Sands Missile Range or Yuma Proving Ground under realistic operational conditions including drone swarms, terrain masking cruise missiles, and electronic warfare environments.
Tactical Implications for Future Maneuver Forces
The deployment of NGSRI-equipped SHORAD units will significantly enhance brigade-level protection against aerial threats that have proven devastating in recent conflicts. With peer adversaries fielding increasingly autonomous drone systems capable of ISR-strike loops within minutes—and cruise missile salvos designed to saturate defenses—the need for agile interceptors like NGSRI is urgent.
If successful in testing and adopted widely across maneuver formations by late this decade, NGSRI could become a cornerstone of layered air defense alongside IFPC Increment II (Enduring Shield + AIM-9X), Patriot PAC-3 MSE batteries, NASAMS units using AMRAAMs, and directed energy weapons still under development.
AUSA Reveal Signals Strategic Prioritization
The decision by Lockheed Martin to showcase its prototype at AUSA underscores both confidence in its design maturity and alignment with Pentagon priorities on counter-UAS capabilities. With funding lines secured through FY2027 under PEO Missiles & Space budgets—and increasing urgency driven by lessons from Ukraine—the path toward initial operational capability may accelerate post-downselect.
Conclusion: Toward a Post-Stinger Era
The unveiling of Lockheed’s NGSRI marks a pivotal step toward modernizing short-range air defense across U.S. ground forces. As drone warfare evolves rapidly—from commercial quadcopters to AI-enabled loitering munitions—the ability to intercept small, fast-moving threats at tactical ranges becomes essential not only for force protection but also for maintaining freedom of maneuver on tomorrow’s battlefield.
