In a September update, Northrop Grumman dropped the news bombshell that they’ve bagged a contract with the Air Force to forge ahead with a cutting-edge air-to-ground missile, destined to be snugly tucked away within the expanding fleets of stealthy U.S. fighters and bombers. This spanking-new missile goes by the moniker “Stand-in Attack Weapon” (SiAW), and its mission is clear: take the lead in the high-stakes showdowns against modern rivals such as China. SiAW aims to swiftly tango with a variety of ground targets deep within the turbulent realms of contested airspace, all from eye-popping distances.
Now, here’s the twist – the SiAW missile isn’t an entirely new kid on the block. It’s built upon the foundation laid by the Navy’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) program. This program was initially intended to be hitched onto carrier-based F-35Cs as a long-range radar hunter. In fact, the Air Force’s SiAW missile might just tap into some of the same internal components and share a common external stature with its Navy cousin.
As savvy aviation scribe Tyler Rogoway astutely mused way back in 2018, the decision to base the SiAW missile on the AARGM-ER isn’t just happenstance. The AARGM-ER was tailor-made to snugly nestle inside the F-35C’s internal weapons bay, but it’s more than just a one-trick pony. Unlike its predecessors that lock onto electromagnetic radiation exclusively, this missile boasts a sophisticated guidance system that enables it to continue pursuing enemy radar systems even after they’ve powered down. In other words, the Air Force’s SiAW project doesn’t have to start from scratch. With a generous $705 million contract awarded to Northrop Grumman, the focus can be on refining the weapon’s capabilities to align with the Air Force’s broader SiAW aspirations.
Air Force bigwigs have set their sights on achieving initial operating capability for this groundbreaking weapon by 2026. It’s crystal clear that the SiAW missile is speeding down the express lane toward active duty.
