The Northrop Grumman AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile β Extended Range (AARGM-ER) performed its third live-fire development test (DT3) off a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. (Northrop Grumman)
The US Navy completed a third live-fire development test (DT3) of the Northrop Grumman AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile β Extended Range (AARGM-ER) off a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, the company announced on 21 July.
βAARGM-ER performed as expected and detected, identified, located, and engaged a land-based air-defence radar system,β Captain Alex Dutko, navy programme manager for Direct and Time Sensitive Strike (PMA-242), wrote in the press release.
The test took place at the Point Mugu Sea Range off the coast of California. The company did not disclose details about the distance or the altitude the weapon flew.
Along with the F/A-18, the missile is being integrated on the Boeing EA-18G Growler, the US Air Force (USAF) F-35A, US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B, and the navy and marine corps F-35C variants of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
After the AARGM-ER passed its critical design review milestone in 2020, the navy conducted several additional tests with the weapon. These tests included a captive carry flight of a separation test vehicle on an F/A-18F at the Atlantic Test Ranges in Patuxent River in Maryland, in April 2021. The navy then conducted the first live-fire test (DT1) of an AARGM-ER from an F/A-18F at Point Mugu on 19 July 2021 and the second in January 2022.
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