# Army Opens Interceptor Programs to Entrants

The U.S. Army is widening competition for affordable, higher-volume munitions and seeking multiple production-ready suppliers to reduce reliance on single sources. Phase Two of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 second-interceptor program is underway, with a shoot-off planned for the fourth quarter of FY2027 and an opportunity for additional firms to demonstrate systems and potentially re-enter the competition. The Army also plans a FY2027 Q4 shoot-off for the Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI), followed by production of 11,000 missiles over ten years beginning in FY2028. Related opportunities include Low Cost Interceptor (LCI) contributions and prototype work for five PrSM Increment 4 teams.

- Companies with mature interceptor solutions can use the planned demonstrations and shoot-offs to compete for a place in IFPC Increment 2 and NGSRI; the Army is considering both complete systems and component-level contributions across its fires portfolio.
- The planned NGSRI production volume signals a substantial prospective demand opportunity, but it is a future plan rather than an awarded contract. Firms should account for the FY2027 competition schedule and the stated uncertainty around funding and munition-buy priorities when deciding whether to invest in demonstrations.
- Suppliers outside the current IFPC competition may have a route back into consideration through the parallel range demonstration. Firms should be prepared to demonstrate technical maturity, while LCI suppliers can assess whether they can contribute complete rounds, components, or weapon-system integration.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Army (U.S. Army)
- Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires (PAE Fires)

### Vendors
- Lockheed Martin (Competitor in the IFPC Increment 2 second-interceptor competition)
- Boeing (Competitor in the IFPC Increment 2 second-interceptor competition as part of a team with Anduril)
- Anduril (Competitor in the IFPC Increment 2 second-interceptor competition as part of a team with Boeing)
- RTX (Provider of the current AIM-9X interceptor for IFPC Increment 2 and competitor in the NGSRI competition)
- Raytheon (Army-contracted competitor in the NGSRI production competition)

### Key Quotes
> We'll give you range time. We'll present targets, and we'll allow you to recompete with an opportunity to get back into the program fold.
> — Frank Lozano, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires, U.S. Army

> I can’t expect industry to sort of invest like we’ve been asking them to invest on a wish list or a dream.
> — Brent Ingraham, Army acquisition czar

### Sources
- [Lozano: Army Giving Industry Another Shot To Offer IFPC Inc. 2 Second Interceptor, NGSRI Solutions - Defense Daily](https://www.defensedaily.com/lozano-army-giving-industry-another-shot-to-offer-ifpc-inc-2-second-interceptor-ngsri-solutions/army) - Defense Daily
- [Army Has an Affordable Mass Problem, Acquisition Chief Says](https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2026/10/13/army-has-an-affordable-mass-problem-acquisition-secretary-says) - National Defense Magazine
- [Didn't get picked for IFPC interceptor competition? Army says come demo anyway - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/10/didnt-get-picked-for-ifpc-interceptor-competition-army-says-come-demo-anyway) - Breaking Defense