Orbital ATK, a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced the U.S. Navy has awarded Orbital ATK a contract worth as much as $350 million to continue Full Rate Production (FRP) of the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM).
With an initial award of $157M for FRP Lot 6 U.S. Navy missiles, this contract will deliver advanced capability to U.S. warfighters. The contract also includes an option for FRP Lot 7 missiles. The contract covers All-Up Round missiles and Captive Air Training Missiles for the U.S. Navy, Italian Air Force, and other allies through Foreign Military Sales orders. AARGM provides the U.S. Navy and Allies with critical mission capabilities to counter the accelerating proliferation of surface-to-air threats.
“Today’s battlefield is rapidly evolving and the number of threats emerging around the world continues to grow. AARGM is an affordable solution that continues to provide advanced capabilities to those protecting our nation and allies each and every day,” said Cary Ralston, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s Defense Electronic Systems Division of the Defense Systems Group. “AARGM’s game-changing technology is vital to the warfighter’s success and equips pilots with the most advanced solution to detect and defeat surface-to-air-threats.”
AARGM is a supersonic, air-launched tactical missile system, upgrading legacy AGM-88 HARM systems with advanced capability to perform destruction of enemy air defense missions. AARGM is the most advanced system for pilots, with in-cockpit, real-time electronic order of battle situational awareness against today’s modern surface-to-air threats. It is able to rapidly engage traditional and non-traditional advanced land- and sea-based air-defense threats, as well as striking, time-sensitive targets.
AARGM is a U.S. Navy and Italian Air Force international cooperative major acquisition program with the U.S. Navy as the executive agent. AARGM is currently deployed and supporting operational requirements for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The missile is integrated into the weapons systems on the FA-18C/D Hornet, FA-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft. AARGM is anticipated to achieve Initial Operational Capability on the Italian Air Force’s Tornado ECR aircraft in 2018.
Orbital ATK’s Defense Systems Group is an industry leader in providing innovative and affordable precision and strike weapons, advanced propulsion and hypersonics, missile components across air, sea and land-based systems, ammunition and related energetic products.
