Northrop Grumman awarded $705m F-35 missile contract

The US Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman an approximately $705m contract to deliver the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), an air-to-ground weapon that accelerates the pivot to a new generation of air power.

SiAW leverages the company’s weapons systems design, development and production expertise to deliver on USAF’s digital engineering priorities and accelerate capability for the fighter jet.

During the next 36 months, Northrop Grumman will further develop the weapon, conduct platform integration and complete the flight test programme for rapid prototyping in preparation for rapid fielding. Work will be performed at the company’s Northridge, California facility and its factory of the future for missile integration at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia.

Susan Bruce, vice president, advanced weapons, Northrop Grumman, commented: “Northrop Grumman’s SiAW delivers on the Air Force’s desire for its first digital weapons acquisition and development program. With our expert digital engineering capabilities, this next-generation missile represents an adaptable, affordable way for the Department of Defense to buy and modernize weapons.”

SiAW is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area denial environment. To adapt to ever-changing threats, the missile design features open architecture interfaces that will allow for rapid subsystem upgrades to field enhanced capabilities to the fighter jet.

Phase 2 development is a continuation of the Air Force requirement for this first-of-its-kind Middle Tier Acquisition large weapon program focused on digital engineering, Weapon Open System Architecture and agility. The Air Force is targeting an initial operational capability by 2026. Phase 2 consists of two primary increments:

• Phase 2.1 concludes with a guided vehicle flight test
• Phase 2.2 concludes with three additional flight tests and the delivery of SiAW leave-behind prototype missiles and test assets

The development of SiAW is part of Northrop Grumman’s broad offerings in advanced weapons, including armaments, components, missiles, electronics and interceptors to defeat and deter threats.

www.northropgrumman.com