US is working on next-gen missiles to deal with evolving ground threats

By Boyko Nikolov

WASHINGTON, BM – The US Navy will have a missile in the coming years that will deal with the enemy’s air defenses, BulgarianMilitary.com has learned, citing an article in The Drive. According to the information, the latest AGM-88G missile passed successful tests near the points of the Point Mugu naval test site on July 19 this year.

The AGM-88G is an Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range, or AARGM-ER. The test was performed by an F / A-18E / F Super Hornet fighter. According to military experts, the AGM-88G would be successful in areas with integrated air defense systems. The missile has modern technological solutions and is a guided missile, which means that it has a navigation system and can change course and trajectory during flight.

The previous popular name for this type of missile was anti-radiation missiles, which aim to search for and absorb foreign radio signals and frequencies. The new AGM-88G will be able to perform dozens of functions, including localization, signal processing, and databases, determining the exact areas of impact, situation assessment, and more.

The manufacturer of the rocket is Northrup Gruman and in their press release about the successful test, it is clear that the test took place at least three months earlier than expected, which shows that the engineers and designers of the AGM-88G work quickly and accurately.

At the moment there are no details about the main characteristics of the missile. Some sources claim that it will have a range of 80 miles and will fly at a maximum speed of Mach 2. Experts say that compared to previous US anti-radiation missiles, the AGM-88G will fly faster, have a greater range, and much better design. Observers report that the rocket is already powered by a new engine, and the electronics have been moved to the tail of the rocket.

Tests of the AGM-88G missile began in 202. They are currently being carried out by F-18 Super Hornet fighters, but if the missile is approved for use in the US Navy, it is expected to become part of the F-35.

Meanwhile, the US Air Force is developing a derivative of the missile as part of its Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) program. This weapon will have a different warhead and fuse than the Navy versions and “will provide the ability to strike to defeat fast-moving targets that create an environment of denial of access/restriction of the area (A2 / AD)”, according to budget documents of USAF.

A ground-based derivative of AARGM-ER, now called Advanced Reactive Strike Missile (AReS), is also under development and will be able to strike targets on land and at sea. This missile can use a launcher that fits in a standard shipping container that Northrop Grumman unveiled in 2018 as part of a proposal for a ground version of AARGM-ER.

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