What's New

The Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) is the upgraded kill vehicle for ground-based interceptors in the U.S's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. The NGI will be the first, all-new interceptor design since the fielding of the GMD system. The U.S. plans to field NGI in a mixed fleet with GBIs for a total of 64 interceptors.

Prototypes produced by Lockheed Martin and Northrop separately passed a preliminary design review in 2023.

Leonardo’s Ultra Light SonicS Enhanced System, or ULISSES is an acoustic system designed to improve operational effectiveness in anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol. Equipped to a crewed or uncrewed aerial or naval platform, ULISSES can interface with up to 64 sonobuoys as well as dipping or towed sonars, collecting and processing data while providing real-time audio and video signals at rates of up to 45 Mb per second. The system is comprised of a sonobuoy processor (UAP) with an embedded data recorder, a common function transmitter (CFT), and a digital very high-frequency (VHF) receiver unit, which can be configured with a sonobuoy localization system (SLS).

ULISSES units have already been installed on Italy’s fleet of SH90 (NH90) helicopters as of August 2020. On May 25, 2024, Leonardo announced ULISSES’ first public international sale, inking a deal with the Malaysian Ministry of Defense for two ATR 72 maritime patrol aircraft that would be fitted with the system.

The Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) is the latest air and missile defense system adopted by the U.S. Army. It is designed to be the core radar element in the Army's forthcoming Integrated Air and Missile Defense system. Raytheon developed LTAMDS as a replacement for the current AN/MPQ-53/65 Radar utilized by the U.S. Army for the Patriot missile system.

The system is still in development. As of October 2023, Raytheon has built six LTAMDS radars since the contract was awarded to the company in 2019. Developmental testing is expected to continue through 2024.