UPDATED: Australia cements interest in AARGM-ER missile with FMS request
Australia has firmed up its intention to procure the latest AARGM-ER missile produced by Northrop Grumman. (Photo: USN)
The US has approved Australia’s FMS request for supply of the upcoming AARGM-ER missile, but the weapon is appealing to other F-35 users as well.
Australia is already a customer for Northrop Grumman’s AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), having made a purchase in June 2013. Now the country has confirmed its intention to acquire the latest extended-range version known as the AARGM-ER.
In June 2022, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) issued a notification approving the potential sale of AGM-88E2 missiles to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Capt Alex Dutko, Program Manager, Direct and Time-Sensitive Strike (PMA-242) of the USN, reaffirmed that this notification ‘has now been turned into a case, and a quantity of weapons are on contract with FRP 11 [full-rate production
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper]()
September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper
The loss of many MQ-9 Reapers during the 2026 Iran War has underscored the risks of sending relatively expensive UAVs into contested airspace. In September, new contenders to replace the Reaper emerged, championing cheaper, modular aircraft designs for mass production and inevitable attrition.
-
![Spain air focus: Mature UAV market rewards early supplier engagement]()
Spain air focus: Mature UAV market rewards early supplier engagement
Spain accounts for 5% of European military UAV spending, broadly in line with its share of the continent’s wider defence market. What sets the country apart, however, is how much of that spending has already been committed, reflecting Spain's earlier adoption of the capability.
-
![New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition]()
New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition
The US$234 million award for 16 Sikorsky UH-60Ms preserves near-term production, but funding uncertainty and an undefinitised contract leave the US Army’s long-term Black Hawk requirements unresolved.
