Northrop Grumman awarded $705 million contract for USAF’s new strike missile capability

Northrop Grumman’s SiAW builds on the company’s weapons systems design, development and production knowledge in an effort to deliver on the air force’s digital engineering priorities and accelerate capability for the users.

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.

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. The missile design features open architecture interfaces that will allow for rapid subsystem upgrades to field enhanced capabilities.

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This phase 2 development is a continuation of the USAF requirement for this first-of-its-kind Middle Tier Acquisition large weapon programme focused on digital engineering, open system architecture and agility. The Air Force is targeting an initial operational capability by 2026.

Phase 2 consists of Phase 2.1 which concludes with a guided vehicle flight test and Phase 2.2 which concludes with three additional flight tests and the delivery of SiAW leave-behind prototype missiles and test assets.