Lockheed Martin's QuadStar is a U.S. Army Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor candidate for M-SHORAD Increment 3, the program intended to replace the FIM-92 Stinger with a soldier-portable fire-and-forget short-range air-defense missile. Public sources place the missile in competitive development and flight testing, with Army budget documents and production-planning reporting tying NGSRI to SGT STOUT compatibility, dismounted air-defense use, and future procurement planning rather than confirmed combat fielding.
Defense reporting and Lockheed Martin statements place the initial NGSRI competition awards to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon in 2023.
Sources: Everything We Learned About Lockheed's QuadStar Missile Aimed At Replacing FIM-92 Stingers, Army Stinger missile replacement competition heads into flight tests, Lockheed Martin Successfully Completes First Flight Test of NGSRI
Lockheed Martin said its NGSRI missile completed the first of a planned flight-test series at White Sands Missile Range, validating interceptor performance and maturing key subsystems 26 months after the initial contract award.
Sources: Lockheed Martin Successfully Completes First Flight Test of NGSRI
Lockheed Martin said a QuadStar missile launched from a Command Launch Assembly, flew a tactical trajectory, and demonstrated seeker image capture, onboard signal processing, and target tracking at range beyond the legacy system.
Sources: Lockheed Martin Proves Seeker Capabilities for U.S. Army Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor Competition
Defense News reported an Army request for information seeking industry input for production planning around 11,000 NGSRI missiles and 2,200 Control Launch Assemblies over ten years, including FY2028 and FY2029 planning quantities.
Sources: The US Army wants thousands of air defense missiles to replace the Stinger
PB 2027 Army documents say FY2027 funding supports continued M-SHORAD Increment 3 system development, integration, developmental testing, prototype missiles for operational assessment, and the start of operational assessment.
Sources: PB 2027 Army M-SHORAD Inc. 3
Defense News reported Army production planning for NGSRI beginning in FY2028 after design, development, and testing work.
Sources: The US Army wants thousands of air defense missiles to replace the Stinger
QuadStar sits inside the Army's NGSRI competition, not an operational conflict-use record. The sources describe a Stinger-replacement candidate moving through flight tests, seeker characterization, budgeted development, and production planning.
FIM-92 Stinger is the missile family NGSRI is intended to replace.
Army budget documents tie M-SHORAD Increment 3 to the existing SGT STOUT platform and a soldier-portable capability for dismounted air defense.
Lockheed Martin identifies QuadStar as its NGSRI missile and reported first-flight and seeker-characterization tests at White Sands Missile Range in 2026.
Defense News reported Army planning factors for 11,000 NGSRI missiles and 2,200 Control Launch Assemblies over a ten-year production period.
