As an upgrade for fifth generation aircraft and more, the U.S. Air Force tapped Northrop Grumman Corporation this week to deliver the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), an air-to-ground weapon meant to hunt rapidly relocatable targets.
“Northrop Grumman’s SiAW delivers on the Air Force’s desire for its first digital weapons acquisition and development program,” Susan Bruce, vice president of advanced weapons for Northrop Grumman, said. “With our expert digital engineering capabilities, this next-generation missile represents an adaptable, affordable way for the Department of Defense to buy and modernize weapons.”
The SiAW will be built on Northrop Grumman’s Strike Missiles weapons systems, in line with the Air Force’s digital engineering priorities. Over 36 months, the company will develop the weapon and complete both platform integration and flight testing for rapid prototyping. All of this will take place at its Northridge, California facility and its factory at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia.
The missile will include open architecture interfacers for quicker, easier subsystem upgrades. Ideally, the Air Force wants it ready for operations by 2026.