Northrop’s New Missile Based on AARGM-ER Identifies ‘Hostile’ Air Defense Systems During Tests

An air-launched missile created by Northrop Grumman managed to identify ‘hostile’ air defense systems during third captive flight tests held recently.

Completed at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, the internally-funded test successfully validated the capability to identify and discriminate modern, integrated air defense systems and successfully tracked the intended targets during a series of captive flight maneuvers using the company’s test aircraft.

The missile is designed to target enemy air defense systems while providing forces the freedom of maneuver to complete a mission out of harm’s way. The design leverages the co,mmpany’s existing work under the U.S. Navy’s AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER), including engineering manufacturing and development, low-rate initial production and integration work for F-35 aircraft. The missile design features open architecture interfaces that will allow for rapid subsystem upgrades.

The company is planning additional flight tests this year in more stressing scenarios that are relevant to all programs leveraging the AARGM-ER program.

Northrop says the new missile will be ready to begin live fire testing during 2022.