Northrop Wins Stand-in

The U.S. Air Force has selected Northrop Grumman to deliver a long-range, anti-radiation missile for the F-35A fleet, the company said Sept. 25. The $705 million contract for the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SIAW) calls for Northrop to have the new missile ready to enter service in 2026. The program leverages Northrop’s AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER), which has been fielded on the U.S. Navy’s F-35s and Boeing EA-18Gs. But the SIAW adds a new seeker and warhead that are optimized for the Air Force mission. The announcement ends a two-year competition for the development contract—an ARGM-ER derivative originally was selected by the Air Force when the SIAW program was revealed, but Air Force officials later restructured the program to allow other companies to submit bids.