Northrop Grumman Chosen by U.S. Air Force for Next-Gen Stand-in Strike Technology

Northrop Grumman Corporation revealed that the U.S. Air Force has bestowed upon the company a contract valued at approximately $705 million to supply the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), an innovative air-to-ground munitions system that expedites the transition to a new era of aerial dominance.

• Northrop Grumman’s SiAW utilizes the company’s expertise in weapon systems design, development, and manufacturing to align with the Air Force’s digital engineering goals, thereby enhancing operational capabilities for combat personnel.
• Over the next 36 months, Northrop Grumman will continue refining the weapon, executing platform integration, and completing the flight testing program for quick prototyping, paving the way for swift deployment. Production will be carried out at the company’s Northridge, California location and its innovative missile integration facility at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia.

Expert Insight:

Susan Bruce, Vice President of Advanced Weapons at Northrop Grumman: “The SiAW from Northrop Grumman fulfills the Air Force’s objective for its inaugural digital weapons acquisition and development initiative. Armed with our advanced digital engineering capabilities, this state-of-the-art missile provides a flexible, cost-effective solution for the Department of Defense to acquire and upgrade weaponry.”

Insight into SiAW and Phase 2 Development:

SiAW is an air-to-ground munitions system designed to deliver strike capabilities against swiftly relocating targets within the adversary’s anti-access and area denial landscape. To respond to evolving threats, the missile features open architecture interfaces, enabling rapid subsystem enhancements to offer advanced capabilities directly to the warfighter.

Phase 2 development represents a continuation of the Air Force’s demand for this pioneering Middle Tier Acquisition large weapon initiative, emphasizing digital engineering, Weapon Open System Architecture, and agility. The Air Force is aiming for initial operational capability by 2026. Phase 2 incorporates two primary increments:

• Phase 2.1 culminates in a guided vehicle flight evaluation.
• Phase 2.2 concludes with three additional flight tests, alongside the delivery of SiAW leave-behind prototype missiles and associated test assets.

The SiAW development is part of Northrop Grumman’s extensive range of advanced weaponry solutions, including munitions, components, missiles, electronics, and interceptors designed to neutralize and deter threats.

Northrop Grumman stands as a premier global aerospace and defense technology entity. Our cutting-edge solutions empower customers with the capabilities essential for global connectivity and protection while pushing the limits of human exploration throughout the cosmos. Motivated by a unified purpose to tackle our customers’ most daunting challenges, our 98,000 professionals redefine what is possible every day.