Orbital ATK [OA] was awarded a contract worth up to $260 million for the combined fourth and fifth full-rate production lots of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), the company said Tuesday.
The company was awarded $119 million for the fourth lot and up to $141 million for the fifth lot production. The contract covers All-Up Round missiles and captive air training missiles for the U.S. Navy, Italian Air Force, and the second Foreign Military Sales (FMS) order for the Royal Australian Air Force.
AARGM is a supersonic, air-launched tactical missile system, an upgrade of the AGM-88 HARM systems, Orbital ATK said. The system provides in-cockpit, real-time electronic order of battle situational awareness against surface-to-air threats. It can engage land and sea-based air-defense systems, the company said.
The missiles is a U.S. Navy and Italian Air Force international cooperative major acquisition program with the United States as the executive agent. AARGM is presently deployed for the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, Orbital ATK said.
“With the rapid proliferation of threats emerging around the world, AARGM provides significant advanced capabilities to those protecting our nation each and every day,” Bill Kasting, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s defense electronic systems division of the defense systems group, said in a statement.
“AARGM continues to provide the U.S. Navy and our allies with the most advanced system against surface-to-air threats,” Kasting added.
AARGM is integrated into the weapons systems of the FA-18C/D Hornet, FA-18E/F Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler. The missiles are expected to achieve initial operational capacity (IOC) on the Italian Air Force’s Tornado ECR in 2017.