U.S. Air Force taps Northrop for SiAW subsystem

Key Points
  • The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a ceiling $100 million IDIQ contract for Stand-in Attack Weapon Subsystem support through 2034.
  • The contract covers seeker component support, testing, and technology development, with work performed in Baltimore, Maryland.

The United States Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a new contract worth up to $100 million to provide long-term support for the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) Subsystem, a key component in the service’s effort to field new strike capabilities against defended targets.

According to the contract announcement, the award is a ceiling $100,000,000 cost-reimbursement, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreement that will run through Dec. 31, 2034.

The contract will cover “active seeker specific support associated for components, test and evaluation support, science and technology development.”

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is overseeing the effort and confirmed that the award was issued as a sole-source acquisition. At the time of award, the service obligated $21,953 in Fiscal 2025 research and development funds to initiate work.

Northrop Grumman will perform all contracted work in Baltimore, Maryland, where the company’s advanced sensor and seeker development facilities are located.

The SiAW program centers on a new generation of precision weapons designed to operate inside contested airspace, requiring modern seekers able to detect, classify, and engage protected targets.

The contract provides support for components tied directly to the SiAW seeker, including continued development, testing, and technology maturation.

The Stand-in Attack Weapon is being developed to give U.S. aircraft the ability to strike high-value systems while remaining inside enemy threat rings — an approach meant to increase survivability and expand the range of tactical options for pilots.

The SiAW is expected to integrate onto platforms such as the F-35A and F-47, giving frontline combat aircraft a new tool to engage mobile air defense systems, command-and-control nodes, and other protected targets that require accurate real-time sensing and guidance.

The contract “provides for active seeker specific support,” reflecting the central role of sensor architecture in SiAW development.

Readers who wish to follow our weekly coverage can subscribe to the Weekly Defense Roundup.

If you wish to report a grammatical or factual error in this article, please let us know by using the online form.

Executive Editor

Support The Defence Blog

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.

Become a patron

More Like This

U.S. Army buys more of its toughest Arctic combat vehicle

The U.S. Army awarded BAE Systems Land and Armaments a $35 million contract modification on June 30, 2026, for additional production of the general-purpose...

AEVEX wins $50M deal for GPS-resistant strike drones

AEVEX Corp. secured a $50 million contract from the United States Air Force on June 30, 2026, to continue expanding unmanned mission-support capabilities for...

U.S. Air Force spends $471M to fix tanker parts supply problem

The U.S. Air Force awarded a combined $471 million in contracts to 28 different companies on a single day, spreading the work of exchanging...

U.S. Navy orders $312M more of its anti-missile jamming system

Northrop Grumman secured a $312 million contract from the U.S. Navy on June 24, 2026, to produce additional Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block...

L3Harris wins $614M deal to keep elite aircraft safe from missiles

When a U.S. Special Operations helicopter or tiltrotor flies into hostile territory and an enemy radar locks onto it, the crew has seconds to...