The US State Department has cleared a potential sale of up to 100 Northrop Grumman AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range (AARGM-ERs) worth approximately US$405 million for Australia under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism.
According to a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announcement on 27 September, the Australian government requested the purchase of AARGM-ER missiles featuring GPS precise positioning system (PPS) provided by Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) or M-Code receivers for enhanced resistance to jamming and enable spoofing.
The possible deal also includes 24 AGM-88G control sections as spares, as well as associated equipment, logistics, and training.
“The proposed sale will improve the Government of Australia’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing the capability to suppress and destroy land or sea-based radar emitters associated with enemy air defences, thereby improving survivability of tactical aircraft,” the DSCA said in its statement.
This is the second US announcement of a possible sale of AARGM-ERs to Australia within the past two years, following a February 2023 notice of up to 63 missiles and up to 20 AARGM-ER Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs) worth around US$506 million.
The missiles are aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Boeing EA-18G Growlers electronic warfare aircraft, and will also likely be integrated to the service’s Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters in the future, according to the Australian Department of Defence (DoD).
Under the auspices of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR), the DoD is consolidating the guided weapons and explosive ordnance (GWEO) requirements throughout the Australian Defence Force and expand its long-range strike capabilities by acquiring and building land-based and airborne missile systems.
The Australian government has also committed to an investment of A$4.1 billion for the GWEO effort.
by jr Ng
