Boeing selected to advance in IFPC Increment 2 second interceptor competition

The Army has chosen Boeing to advance to the next phase of the Indirect Fires Protection Capability Increment 2 second interceptor competition, the company announced Wednesday.

The medium-range interceptor is meant to “better protect fixed and forward operating bases against emergent aerial threats,” according to a company press release.

IFPC Increment 2 is meant to defend against cruise missiles and uncrewed aircraft systems. One interceptor variant can employ the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile and the AGM-114L Longbow variant of the Hellfire missile, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report. The AIM-9X guided-missile interceptor was launched during a test of IFPC 2 by the Army last summer, Inside Defense reported.

The Army announced in January 2024 that it would be holding a competition for a second interceptor for IFPC Increment 2, with the plan to make an award in fiscal year 2025. This second interceptor will address “subsonic and supersonic” cruise missile threats, according to the Army. The vendors that are ultimately selected will participate in a technology demonstration during the FY-26 to FY-27 timeframe, the Army said at the time.

Jim Leary, Boeing’s executive director of business development for precision engagement systems said Wednesday that “Our design offers increased magazine depth with a missile that provides enhanced speed to target, greater range and maneuverability for sustained engagement against an evolving threat.”

The Army plans to select companies to advance to the prototype development phase of the competition next year, Boeing stated Wednesday.