Kristen Smith 
- Lockheed Martin has unveiled a next-generation hypersonic glide body built for low-cost, high-volume production
- The weapon offers greater range and velocity than existing models and can launch from air, land and sea platforms
- The glide body has cleared its preliminary design review, with a flight demonstration set for 2027
Lockheed Martin has introduced a new hypersonic glide body designed for low-cost, high-volume production, positioning it as a long-range strike option that can be launched across multiple domains.
The company said Wednesday the next-generation glide body, or NXGB, offers greater range and velocity than existing models.
What Sets the NXGB Apart?
Lockheed designed the glide body to launch from multiple platforms in the air, on land and at sea to give warfighters more flexibility in contested environments and reduce risk to U.S. forces. It built the system around a modular open systems approach and modern design methods, drawing on technologies and lessons from fielded missile programs.
Johnathon Caldwell, vice president and general manager of Lockheed’s strategic and missile defense systems, said the company engineered the weapon from the start to be affordable and producible in quantity.
To support output, Lockheed said it has invested in purpose-built manufacturing infrastructure and supply chain partnerships designed to enable it to ramp up production quickly.
Where Does the NXGB Program Stand?
The NXGB has cleared its preliminary design review, with a flight demonstration scheduled for 2027 to validate the weapon’s performance.
The glide body arrives as the military pushes to expand its hypersonic arsenal. In its fiscal 2027 budget request, the Air Force sought $346 million in base funding for air-launched hypersonic weapons, including Lockheed’s AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon and a new Air-Launched Ballistic Missile, alongside funding to buy Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missiles.
