Naval Air Systems Command awarded Northrop Grumman’s Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC [NOC] a $41 million contract for 16 low rate initial production (LRIP) Lot One AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles – Extended Range (AARGM-ER).

This contract covers the 16 AARGM-ERs as well as six AARGM-ER Captive Air Training Missiles, four Common Munitions BIT Reprogramming Equipment Plus interface devices, initial spares, and required supplies and support. 

The work will be split among Northridge, Calif. (61 percent); Rocket Center, W.Va. (21 percent); China Lake, Calif. (11 percent); and Ridgecrest, Calif.(seven percent); and is expected to be finished by March 2024.

The Navy obligated the full $41 million via fiscal year 2021 Navy weapons procurement funds at the time of award, with none of it expiring at the end of this year. This contract was not competitively procured.

This award comes after the AARGM-ER received Milestone C authorization to move to LRIP in August, after the initial live-fire test of the AARGM-ER from a Boeing [BA] F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (Defense Daily, Sept. 2).

In August, Northrop Grumman started preliminary integration work for being able to launch the AARGM-ER from the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (Defense Daily, Aug. 3).

The missile is also planned to be integrated into the Navy and Marine Corps variants of the F-35.

The Navy previously said it will continue conducting live fire tests of the AARGM-ER through 2022 and initial operating capability is planned for 2023.