US approves AARGM sale for German Tornados
The US State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale (FMS) to Germany via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) of up 91 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) plus up to eight training missiles for use with the air force’s Panavia Tornado fighter.
The deal is worth some $122.86 million, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress that the potential sale had been approved.
In addition to the AGM-88E missiles, Germany has also requested up to six telemetry/flight termination systems, flight data recorders, US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services and miscellaneous support equipment.
The AGM-88E AARGM is an upgrade to the older generation AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile(HARM), which Germany first purchased in 1988.
The AGM-88E AARGMs in this case will be manufactured using a mixture of new components and older sections from Germany's existing stock of AGM-88Bs provided as so-called government furnished equipment.
Germany has requested that the NSPA act as its agent for the FMS procurement and case management to support the AARGM programme.
The principal US contractor will be NGIS, based in Ridgecrest, California, and integration of the new capability will be via a direct commercial sale initiated by the German air force between the Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) and the AARGM OEM, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require five US government personnel and three contractor representatives to travel to Germany to provide programme management reviews, and two visits per year are planned over the next five years.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat]()
Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat
Estonian-made equipment is being put through the toughest of evaluations in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers resisting the full-scale Russian invasion which began in 2022. The country has long seen the threat and is continuing to adapt for the future.
-
![UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens]()
UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens
The UK has recently deployed a Type 45 destroyer to Cyprus and has bolstered its presence in the Middle East in recent weeks with supporting air power to protect neighbouring countries’ air defences.
-
![White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production]()
White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production
Intended to sustain Operation Epic Fury against Iran, efforts to increase the production of weapons and ammunition could expose long-standing weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.
-
![India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict]()
India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict
The latest escalation between Iran and Israel could shape New Delhi’s next-generation shield as India deepens cooperation with Israel on missile defence and drone production.
-
![Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?]()
Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?
The Pentagon spent a considerable number of THAAD and SM-3 rounds to defend against Iranian missiles in 2025 and has not fully replenished its reserves.
