The US Air Force has taken delivery of the first copy of a new missile that arms-maker Northrop Grumman designed for a critical mission: rolling back enemy air defences to clear the way for follow-on aerial bombardment. It’s a vital capability that could tip the scale in any future European war.
But the new Stand-in Attack Weapon, or SiAW, has a problem – and it’s in the name. The SiAW is meant for relatively close attacks. But in, say, a war with China over Taiwan, Air Force fighters could struggle to get close.
Northrop Grumman handed over the first SiAW in mid-November, a little more than a year after the Air Force awarded the Virginia-based firm the contract for the speedy weapon. “The company is continuing to develop the weapon, conduct platform integration and complete the flight test program for rapid prototyping and fielding by 2026,” Northrop Grumman stated.
The 14-foot SiAW is an air-to-ground missile that “will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets,” according to the manufacturer. It borrows much of its design from Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, which is optimised for suppressing or destroying enemy air-defence radars. The latest extended-range version of the AARGM reportedly travels as far as 150 miles at a top speed exceeding Mach two.
The US Air Force has taken delivery of the first copy of a new missile that arms-maker Northrop Grumman designed for a critical mission: rolling back enemy air defences to clear the way for follow-on aerial bombardment. It’s a vital capability that could tip the scale in any future European war.
But the new Stand-in Attack Weapon, or SiAW, has a problem – and it’s in the name. The SiAW is meant for relatively close attacks. But in, say, a war with China over Taiwan, Air Force fighters could struggle to get close.
Northrop Grumman handed over the first SiAW in mid-November, a little more than a year after the Air Force awarded the Virginia-based firm the contract for the speedy weapon. “The company is continuing to develop the weapon, conduct platform integration and complete the flight test program for rapid prototyping and fielding by 2026,” Northrop Grumman stated.
The 14-foot SiAW is an air-to-ground missile that “will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets,” according to the manufacturer. It borrows much of its design from Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, which is optimised for suppressing or destroying enemy air-defence radars. The latest extended-range version of the AARGM reportedly travels as far as 150 miles at a top speed exceeding Mach two.