Northrop Grumman Corporation completed the second flight test of its new anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) missile, demonstrating capabilities that will meet key objectives for the upcoming Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) program. The test was completed utilizing a company-owned CRJ-700 aircraft as the testbed for the air to surface mission computer and sensors. Northrop Grumman invested to act mature and test its A2/AD missile design, which meets U.S. Air Force requirements for SiAW and other programs. Featuring open architecture interfaces, the Northrop Grumman solution will bridge current requirements while enabling rapid future upgrades to meet changing mission requirements.
“We have taken significant steps to mature our missile design, providing capabilities for the U.S. Air Force SiAW program and other programs,” said Dan Olson, vice president, and general manager, weapon systems, Northrop Grumman. “Leveraging our digital engineering expertise to accelerate timelines, our first complete missile is planned to be built and ready for launch in 2022.”
“Like a missile prime, we play a vital role in pioneering the most innovative solutions that increase survivability and lethality against new and emerging adversary threats,” said Mary Petryszyn, president, Northrop Grumman Defense Systems. “Our lean-forward approach enables us to innovate at rapid speeds while reducing cost for our customers.”
This second flight test demonstrated the mission capability of the missile sensor systems combined with the mission computer. This is the first of a new series of company-funded flight tests which will continue to test the system with more stressful scenarios in preparation for the missile launch in 2022. The Northrop Grumman A2/AD solution leverages lessons learned on the Navy’s AARGM-ER, engineering manufacturing, and development, low-rate initial production, and integration work on the F-35 aircraft. The Northrop Grumman A2/AD missile is capable of being integrated into a variety of aircraft.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and annual revenue of over $30 billion, it is one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers and military technology providers. The firm ranks No. 96 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of America’s largest corporations. Northrop Grumman is made up of four main business sectors: Aeronautics Systems, Defense Systems, Mission Systems, and Space Systems. In 2018, Northrop Grumman completed the purchase of Orbital ATK, which has since been renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. Today, Northrop Grumman is one of the largest defense contractors in the world. Before Northrop Grumman reorganized its divisions on January 1, 2020, the divisions were: Aerospace Systems, Mission Systems, Technology Services, and Innovation Systems.
