Alliant Techsystems Awarded Germany’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles Deal

Alliant Techsystems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, won a contract valued $46 million for Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) to Germany.

This modification exercises an option to procure full rate production Lot 11 AARGMs to include the conversion of 51 AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs) into AGM-88E AARGM all-up-rounds, as well as related supplies and services necessary for their manufacture, spares, and fleet deployment for the government of Germany.

Work is expected to be completed in March 2025.

In July 2019, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 91 AGM-88E AARGM plus eight training missiles to be equipped on the German Air Force’s Panavia Tornado fighters.

AARGM is the most advanced system for pilots against modern surface-to-air threats. Providing a combination of precision, survivability and lethality, the system is able to rapidly engage land- and sea-based air-defense threats, as well as striking, time-sensitive targets. As a prime contractor, Northrop Grumman also is developing the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) in partnership with the U.S. Navy. The AARGM-ER will include a new rocket motor and warhead to provide an advanced capability to detect and engage enemy air defense systems. AARGM is currently deployed with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps on the F/A-18C/D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force EA-18G Growler aircraft; AARGM is also integrated on the Italian Air Force’s Tornado Electronic Combat aircraft.