Alliant Wins $54M contract for AARGM from US DoD

Alliant Techsystems, Missile Products, Defense Electronics Systems, Woodland Hills, Calif., is being awarded a $54,400,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Low Rate Initial Production, three, of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). This contract provides for the conversion of 51 U.S. government-provided AGM-88B high-speed anti radiation missiles into 44 AGM-88E AARGM all-up-round (AUR)/captive air training (CATM) missile systems for the U.S. Navy; and seven AGM-88E AARGM AURs/CATMs missile systems for the government of Italy, including related supplies and services. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, Calif. (89.2 percent); Fusaro, Italy (7.5 percent); Ridgecrest, Calif. (1.7 percent); Piacenza, Italy (1.4 percent); and Clearwater, Fla. (0.2 percent). Work is expected to be completed in May 2013. ATK announced that it has been awarded a $54.4-million contract by the U.S. Navy for a third lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP) Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM). The contract authorizes production of AARGM missiles and associated support equipment for the U.S. Navy and Italian Air Force. AARGM is currently in the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) phase and has undergone more than 300 hours of missile flight testing with the Navy in the last twelve months, including over 200 hours and multiple live fires in the IOT&E phase. Upon IOT&E phase completion in early 2012, the missile will achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with the FA-18C/D Hornet aircraft. AARGM is also being integrated into the Navy's EA-18G Growler electronic warfare and FA-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft, as well as the Italian Air Force Tornado ECR electronic combat and reconnaissance aircraft. As a contributing sensor with advanced lethal defense suppression capability, AARGM is expected to greatly enhance the electronic warfare capabilities for the Growler and the Tornado ECR aircraft.