Airforce Technology

US Navy and Air Force to acquire dozens of AARGM-ER missiles

A total of 118 of the advanced air-to-surface missiles will be produced and delivered to the two services, split 84 and 34 respectively.

The US Navy Air Systems Command has contracted Alliant Technsystems Operations, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, a $235.7m contract for the production of 118 AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles - Extended Range (AARGM-ER).

Awarded under Lot 3 low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the programme, the contract will see the delivery of 84 AGM-88G AARGM-ER All Up Rounds (AURs) for the US Navy (USN) and 34 AGM-88G AARGM-ER AURs for the US Air Force (USAF), according to a 28 November US Department of Defense contract announcement.

In addition to the LRIP production, Alliant Techsystems will deliver six AGM-88G AARGM-ER captive air training missiles, eight telemetry/flight termination system kits for the USN, ten dummy air training missiles for the USAF, as well as initial spares, special tooling and test equipment kits, and associated supplies and support.

US NAVAIR states that the AARGM mission is suppression and/or destruction of enemy air defences, also known as the acronym SEAD/DEAD. Its primary targets are re-locatable integrated air defence targets and targets that utilise shutdown tactics, which is neutralised through the use of a multi-mode seeker.

The AARGM-ER began development in FY2016 and incorporates hardware and software modifications to improve AGM-88E AARGM capabilities to include extended range, survivability and effectiveness against future threats.

Global missile market growth

According to GlobalData analysis, the global missiles and missile defensce systems (MMDS) market is valued at $45.2bn in 2023 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% to reach a value of $67.9bn by 2033. The cumulative market for global MMDS is anticipated to be valued at $657.4bn over the forecast period.

Demand for MMDS is anticipated to be driven by air defense modernisation and advanced precision strike missile procurement programs by key defence spending countries, such as the US, Russia, China, India, Poland, and the UK, among others, GlobalData states.

The missiles segment is expected account for the largest share of 58.3% out of the two primary segments in the global MMDS market from 2023 to 2033. It was valued at $25.2bn in 2023 and is expected to reach $38.3bn by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% over the forecast period.