Jane Edwards 
- Lockheed has launched the MAB-5 manufacturing facility in Alabama to support NGI production
- Gen. Michael Guetlein has called the facility a critical asset supporting Golden Dome for America
- The 2026 Air and Space Summit will feature discussions on Golden Dome, commercial space relay, AI and more
Lockheed Martin has opened a new manufacturing facility in Courtland, Alabama, to support the production of the Next Generation Interceptor, or NGI, missile defense system.
Lockheed’s new MAB-5 facility in Alabama highlights the growing focus on next-generation missile defense capabilities, including technologies supporting the Golden Dome initiative. These topics and more will be explored at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30, featuring expert panel discussions on commercial space relay, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Golden Dome and other critical aerospace and defense priorities. Book your spot now!
What Is MAB-5?
Lockheed said Monday the Manufacturing Assembly Building 5, known as MAB-5, is an 88,000-square-foot facility that consolidates the company’s digital manufacturing tools and smart production processes to support NGI development and manufacturing efforts.
The facility incorporates digital engineering, automation and data-driven workflows and uses a digital twin methodology that connects design, manufacturing and sustainment activities while supporting configuration control and quality assurance.
The company said MAB-5 incorporates lessons learned from programs including Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, and hypersonic weapons development. Integrated digital tools connect engineering data directly to manufacturing operations to streamline production and support scaling efforts.
Christopher Jewell, NGI vice president and program manager at Lockheed, said the facility was designed around the interceptor system from the outset.
“These facilities were intentionally designed around the system they produce,” Jewell said. “By aligning the factory to the product at the onset of development, we can improve quality, increase efficiency, adapt and ramp up production quicker as the system evolves.”
What Did Gen. Michael Guetlein Say About MAB-5?
Gen. Michael Guetlein, director of Golden Dome for America and a 2026 Wash100 awardee, described the plant as a key component of the country’s missile defense efforts.
“You are not just building infrastructure, you are building the Arsenal of Freedom,” Guetlein said. “We are moving with purpose, with urgency, and we are moving out … we are forging the shield to secure the Homeland together.”
Guetlein also highlighted the role of the NGI program within the broader Golden Dome for America initiative.
“Golden Dome for America is real, and it is not theoretical. We are building it right now in Courtland,” he said. “We are taking proven, world-class capabilities, combining them with next-generation space-based tracking and advanced interceptors, and fusing them together with Artificial Intelligence.”
What Is the NGI Program?
Next Generation Interceptor is a Missile Defense Agency program that aims to develop an open-system missile interceptor designed to operate within a layered missile defense architecture that includes space-based sensors, command-and-control systems, radars and other interceptors.
Lockheed said NGI features a modular architecture that enables technology upgrades while the interceptor remains in its silo, eliminating the need for removal and replacement.
“Think of this as deterrence through defense,” Jewell said of NGI. “It sends a clear signal that threats can be detected, tracked and defeated before they ever reach their intended target.”
Jewell said the system’s digital foundation supports faster integration of new capabilities.
“NGI was designed from the start to adapt,” he said. “Its digital foundation allows new technologies to be integrated more quickly, ensuring the system can stay ahead of emerging threats.”
Lockheed said the NGI program is progressing from design into production, with core technologies including sensors, engagement capabilities, software and propulsion continuing development, testing and integration activities ahead of critical design review. The company added that its Troy, Alabama-based facility will support NGI production through large-scale manufacturing and hardware integration alongside operations in Courtland.
