# Lockheed flight-tests Mk21A reentry vehicle for the Air Force's future ICBM The unarmed, developmental vehicle flew under a contract valued at over $1 billion. Lockheed says flight data will inform design refinements and future testing. Published 2026-11-04 by TGOs. Canonical: https://tgos.io/news/2026/11/04/lockheed-flight-tests-mk21a-reentry-vehicle-for-the-air/ Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force completed a flight test of the unarmed, developmental Mk21A reentry vehicle, the company announced Nov. 4.[1] The vehicle launched over the Pacific Ocean from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.[1] The Mk21A upgrades the legacy Mk21 and will serve as the front-end payload for the Air Force's future intercontinental ballistic missile system.[1] The flight was conducted under a prime military contract valued at over $1 billion.[1] Lockheed says the flight demonstrated the maturity of the vehicle's architecture and validated next-generation reentry technologies.[1] The company says it used data from previous tests and digital engineering, including modeling and simulation, to accelerate development.[1] ## Why it matters Lockheed says flight data will inform design refinements and future testing as the Mk21A program moves toward system-level Critical Design Review.[1] The release gives no date for the flight or that review.[1] ## Sources 1. Lockheed Martin, "Lockheed Martin Completes Flight Test of Future Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System Reentry Vehicle," Nov. 4, 2026