Image source: topwar.ru
The United States is actively conducting flight tests of advanced strike weapons designed to strike key enemy targets.
The F-16C Viper fighter of the US Air Force carried out the first launch of the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile, developed by Northrop Grumman, as part of the throwing tests. At the same time, the first combat carrier of this weapon should be the F-35A. During the launch, SiAW was not equipped with either a rocket engine or electronics.
- the contractor explained.
Image source: topwar.ru
The image of the F-16 dropping a test sample gives a good idea of how large the new weapon is.
The F-35A will be the first operational SiAW launch platform, which will be located in the internal compartments of the aircraft, which will allow fighters to use the missile in maximum stealth mode. As explained in the Air Force, in the future it is planned to equip the new UR with "future inconspicuous aircraft," including the B-21 Raider bomber and drones. At the same time, observers predict a wider spread of SiAW in US combat aviation.
Image source: topwar.ru
- the developer noted.
SiAW is designed to effectively defeat high-priority mobile targets: ballistic, anti-aircraft and anti-ship cruise missile launchers, electronic warfare stations, and anti-satellite systems.
This is a wider range of targets than the AARGM-ER, designed to suppress and destroy air defense systems. However, this missile can still be used to launch secondary strikes against targets on land and at sea.
Currently, the Air Force plans to achieve initial operational readiness of the SiAW by 2026.
