Northrop Grumman lands $705M missile contract

Falls Church-based aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman will develop and test the Air Force’s new air-to-surface missile under a $705 million contract.

Under the contract, announced Monday by the Air Force and the Fortune 500 contractor, the company will develop, integrate and complete flight testing and rapid prototyping of the service’s stand-in attack weapon (SiAW) during the next three years at the company’s Northridge, California, location and at its factory for future missile integration at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia.

The weapon is expected to be carried in the internal weapons bay of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to avoid jeopardizing the jet’s stealth capabilities, Defense News reported. The SiAW has a shorter range than standoff weapons and could be used close to target after penetrating contested airspace.

Northrop Grumman said the SiAW’s design will include open architecture interfaces to allow for rapid upgrades and focuses on digital engineering.

“Northrop Grumman’s SiAW delivers on the Air Force’s desire for its first digital weapons acquisition and development program,” Susan Bruce, vice president for advanced weapons at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement. “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.”

Northrop Grumman was one of three companies to compete for the project’s second phase. Others included Maryland-based Lockheed Martin and L3 Harris Technologies, based in Melbourne, Florida.

Ranked No. 113 on the Fortune 500 this year and No. 413 on the Fortune Global 500, Northrop Grumman reported $36.6 billion in 2022 revenue, up 3% from 2021. The company employs approximately 95,000 workers worldwide.