Northrop Grumman to produce Navy, German Air Force missiles

Northrop Grumman Corporation has secured a $153 million Navy contract to produce AGM-88E2 Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) for the Navy and German Air Force.

“As threats continue to evolve, AARGM remains an affordable solution to continue protecting the Navy and our allies with their critical missions every day,” Gordon Turner, vice president, advanced weapons, Northrop Grumman, said. “The ability to detect and defeat the rapid proliferation of today’s surface-to-air-threats, while remaining out of harm’s way, is paramount to mission success.”

AARGM serves as the most advanced system for pilots against modern surface-to-air threats, providing a tactical missile system that upgrades legacy AGM-88 HARM systems through advanced capability to perform enemy air defense systems suppression and destruction.

In accordance with its role as prime contractor, Northrop Grumman is also responsible for developing the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) in partnership with the Navy.

AARGM-ER features are slated to include a new rocket motor and warhead providing the ability to detect and engage enemy air defense systems.

Northrop Grumman has produced over 1,500 AARGM missiles for the international cooperative acquisition program in conjunction with the U.S. Navy and the Italian Air Force.