Armed Forces
Polish F-35s to Gain Capability Against Russian SAMs. Important Approval
US State Department approved the sale of new generation AARGM-ER anti-radiation missiles for Poland. These missiles would be carried in the internal weapons bays of the F-35A jets.
The US State Department’s approval covers the procurement of 360 AARGM-ER missiles plus extras, including 8 spare guidance units, 8 spare control units, GPS receivers, maintenance and logistics support services, and other support elements. The total value of the potential contract is defined as USD 1.275 bn. Northrop Grumman would be the key contractor.
In its release, DSCA stresses the fact that the Polish AARGM-ER procurement would increase the survivability of MRCA, allowing them to counter land and sea air defences. AARGM-ER is the most modern anti-radiation missile available on the market now. The weapon is being commissioned in the US, and it was developed with neutralization of the advanced Russian-designed air defence systems in mind.
The baseline assumption for the AARGM-ER programme was to develop an anti-radiation missile with speed and range exceeding those offered by the AGM-88E AARGM (manufactured at a full scale since 2012).
At the same time, the AARGM guidance unit has been utilized for the new design - featuring a digital, passive RF seeker, active millimetre radar, and an INS/GPS unit. Electronics used for control of the control surfaces in flight have also been repurposed.
New elements of the AARGM-ER include its structure (LERX and heatshield), solid fuel rocket motor, and control surfaces in the rear. All of the above developments are to make it possible for the missile to be carried in the internal weapons bay of the 5th generation MRCA, and to attain speeds twice as fast as the ones attainable by the AGM-88E. According to the publicly available data released by the NAVAIR command, the new missile can exceed Mach 2.
The Netherlands also received approval for delivery of 265 missiles, at a maximum cost of USD 700 million. Earlier on, Finland had also received a similar approval, concerning 150 missiles as such, with a maximum price tag of USD 500 million. Australia, meanwhile, will become the first export user of this weapon.