Stand-in Attack Weapon

Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW)
A SiAW missile being tested by a United States Air Force F-16
Type	Air-to-surface missile, aimed at targeting anti-access / area denial (A2 / AD) weapons
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	Planned for 2026
Used by	To be used by the United States Air Force
Production history
Designer	Northrop Grumman
Designed	Since May 2022 [1]
Manufacturer	Northrop Grumman
Developed from	AGM-88G AARGM-ER
Produced	Since 2024
Variants	[2]
Specifications
Steering system	Tail controlled missile
Launch platform	Developed with: F-16 To be introduced with: F-35A Planned to be used with: F-15E, F-15EX, B-21 [1]

The Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) is a tactical air-to-surface missile under development for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Northrop Grumman.

It is primarily designed to attack air-defences and high-value targets such as command-and-control sites, surface-to-surface missile launchers, anti-satellite systems, and GPS jamming systems. ^[1]

History

In May 2022, the USAF awarded contracts to L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to begin the first phase of development for the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW). ^[3] On 28 September 2023, the USAF awarded a US$705m contract to Northrop Grumman to develop and test the SiAW. The SiAW is intended to attack relocatable targets including theater ballistic missile launchers, cruise and anti-ship missile launchers, GPS jamming platforms and anti-satellite systems. It will have a shorter range than standoff weapons, being fired by an aircraft after penetrating enemy airspace. The SiAW will fit inside the F-35 Lightning II's internal weapon bays. The design leverages work on the United States Navy's AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile - Extended Range (AARGM-ER). The USAF plans to have an operational weapon by 2026. ^{[4] [5]}

In November 2024, Northrop Grumman delivered the first SiAW to the USAF for flight testing. ^{[6] [7]}

See also

• Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile, Lockheed Martin's offering for the SiAW program

References

1. Tirpak, John A. (15 June 2022). "New SiAW Seen as Modular, Pathfinder Weapon". Air & Space Forces Magazine . Retrieved 20 August 2023.
2. "SiAW - Standing-in Attack Weapon" (PDF). Northrop Grumman. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-12-05.
3. Losey, Stephen (9 June 2022). "US Air Force awards contracts to start designing F-35 weapon". Defense News . Retrieved 20 August 2023.
4. Losey, Stephen (26 September 2023). "Northrop wins $705 million contract for F-35 air-to-ground weapon". Defense News. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
5. Rosenberg, Zach (28 September 2023). "Northrop Grumman awarded US Air Force contract to build Stand-in Attack Weapon". Jane's Defence Weekly . Retrieved 13 November 2023.
6. Trevithick, Joseph (18 November 2024). "First Stand-In Attack Missile Delivered To USAF". The War Zone. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
7. "Delivery initiates SiAW flight test program" (Press release). Northrop Grumman Newsroom. November 18, 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-23.