On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the American company Lockheed Martin announced that it had conducted the first in a series of tests of a prototype new surface-to-air missile being offered to the U.S. Army under the Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI) program as a successor to the FIM-92 Stinger system.
Photo: Lockheed Martin
According to the press release, the flight test, conducted at the White Sands Missile Range, confirmed the interceptor’s effectiveness and demonstrated the maturity of key subsystems of the developed solution. The test marked a significant step forward in the development of this advanced missile system.
As reported, the missile continues to evolve thanks to a modern open-systems architecture and system modularity, designed to ensure high effectiveness against unmanned aerial systems, helicopters, and manned aircraft. In many respects, Lockheed Martin’s offering more than doubles the capabilities of the legacy FIM-92 Stinger.
Lockheed Martin began prototype testing just 26 months after the initial award of an OTA contract for this work in September 2023. The system leverages the company’s extensive experience in air and missile defense and incorporates advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver a truly innovative solution.
“Our team’s shared mission, innovative approach and agility were essential to achieving this milestone,” said Randy Crites, vice president, Lockheed Martin Advanced Programs. “Lockheed Martin is driving the future of integrated air and missile defense, advancing technologies that safeguard our warfighters and allies from evolving threats.”
“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 timeline. We completed our controlled flight test series in less than six months, demonstrating the speed and agility the Lockheed Martin team brings to this exciting competition,” said Chris Murphy, business development lead, Lockheed Martin Advanced Programs. “Lockheed Martin is committed to the rapid delivery of highly capable, manufacturable and affordable systems that meet the Army’s needs today. Our team has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions that protect people, infrastructure and nations around the world.”
The aforementioned competitor in the NGSRI program is the manufacturer of the FIM-92 Stinger, namely the RTX corporation. On February 18, 2025, the company reported the completion of a series of ten successful tests of its prototype.
Analysis
It is worth recalling that FIM-92 Stinger systems returned to favor in January 2018 as part of an ongoing reform of the U.S. Army. The systems were brought back from storage to frontline units (previously they had been maintained in relatively small numbers), and operator training was resumed. This was linked to a broader shift in U.S. Army doctrine resulting from changing operational priorities – from counterinsurgency operations to the potential for conflict with a peer adversary such as Russia or China. Both man-portable MANPADS and vehicle-mounted systems were reinstated.
The most recent production contract for the FIM-92 Stinger was signed on September 24, 2025. The system uses Stinger Block I missiles, also designated as the Stinger Reprogrammable Microprocessor variant.
On November 10, 2020, the U.S. Army issued its first Request for Information (RFI) under the successor program, initially referred to simply as MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense System). The plan envisages the procurement of at least 10,000 missiles along with launchers, sighting systems, and training equipment (previously, 8,000 missiles had been planned—editor’s note).
On March 28, 2022, the SHIELD (Short and Intermediate Effectors for Layered Defense) program office released another RFI on the matter, while simultaneously assigning it the designation Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) Increment 3. This effort, however, covers only vehicle-mounted systems deployed on the IM-SHORAD short-range air defense platform based on the Stryker A1 armored wheeled vehicle, which received the name Sgt Stout on June 15, 2024.
At that time, preliminary tactical and technical requirements for the new surface-to-air missile were published. These include the capability to engage helicopters, aircraft, and Class 2 and Class 3 unmanned aerial systems (Class 2: weight 9.5–35 kg, ceiling below 1,070 m, speed below 463 km/h; Class 3: weight below 600 kg, ceiling below 5,500 m, speed below 463 km/h). The missile is therefore expected to offer capabilities comparable to or better than the Stinger, feature a proximity fuze, and provide improved detection, targeting, and guidance performance compared to the current system. It must also be compatible with the currently used Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher (SUVL) and be ready for immediate all-round use.
Interestingly, the U.S. Army is also seeking a smaller, high-performance surface-to-air missile for new Enduring Shield launchers under the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2–Intercept (IFPC Inc 2-I) program.
.@LockheedMartin's Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor successfully completed its first flight test, demonstrating exceptional performance and positioning the @USArmy for 21st Century Security® success.
— Lockheed Martin News (@LMNews) January 13, 2026