Lockheed Delay on New Interceptor Missile Slows Mideast Defense

Lockheed Martin Corp., the world’s largest defense contractor, is at least a year behind schedule delivering the first 24 of the Pentagon’s newest interceptor missile.

A safety switch intended to prevent accidental launches failed testing and these interceptors and 24 more can’t be assembled until it’s fixed, said Rick Lehner, a Missile Defense Agency spokesman. The switch is made by Moog Inc., a Lockheed subcontractor.