US Air Force receives next-generation Stand-in Attack Weapon for further testing

News, US November 21, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

3 minute read

The United States Air Force has received the new generation Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) test missile from defense manufacturer Northrop Grumman to confirm the safe carriage and separation of the weapon from its launch aircraft.

According to the Northrop Grumman statement, “The SiAW is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area denial environment.”

“To provide more rapid development and facilitate future upgrades, Northrop Grumman is using best practices for agile software development, digital engineering, and Weapon Open Systems Architecture (WOSA),” it added.

The statement further highlighted that the missile incorporates open architecture interfaces, enabling rapid subsystem upgrades to deliver enhanced capabilities to warfighters and counter evolving future threats.

The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $705 million contract in September 2023, to deliver the Stand-in Attack Weapon, an advanced air-to-ground missile that accelerates the transition to next-generation air power.

After the tests to verify that the launch aircraft can safely carry and separate the weapon, the missile is expected to undergo further testing, including live-fire demonstrations, to assess its effectiveness and reliability before full operational deployment.

Vice president of advanced weapons at Northrop Grumman, Susan Bruce highlighted the importance of the program and said, “SiAW delivers on the Air Force’s desire for its first digital weapons acquisition and development program. With our expert digital engineering capabilities, this next-generation missile represents an adaptable, affordable way for the Department of Defense to buy and modernize weapons.”

Stand-in Attack Weapon

The Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) is a next-generation air-launched missile designed to provide enhanced strike capabilities against a wide range of targets, including those in heavily defended or contested environments. The missile is part of the broader effort to modernize the U.S. military’s precision strike capabilities.

The SiAW is intended to be used for anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments, where adversaries have advanced air defense systems or other countermeasures. The missile can be used to strike targets such as surface-to-air missile systems, radar sites, air defense networks, and other high-value targets that are difficult to reach with older weapon systems.

The SiAW features sophisticated guidance and targeting systems to strike high-priority targets with high precision, even in heavily contested areas. This might include GPS, radar, and possibly advanced seekers like infrared or electronic attack (jamming) capabilities.

It is expected to be faster and more maneuverable than older systems, enhancing its ability to defeat advanced air defenses. The missile can be launched from a variety of U.S. Air Force aircraft, such as the B-52 Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer, and potentially the latest B-2 Spirit aircraft.

The SiAW is expected to play a key role in multi-domain operations, where air, land, sea, space, and cyber forces must work together to counter a sophisticated adversary. Its development is aligned with the U.S. military’s overall strategy to counter the growing capabilities of adversaries like China and Russia, who have heavily invested in advanced air defense systems, anti-satellite weapons, and other technologies that challenge U.S. military dominance.