The U.S. Air Force wants more companies building its next-generation radar-killing missile, issuing a market research notice that for the first time publicly links a weapon system to Boeing’s F-47 sixth-generation fighter.
A sources-sought notice posted March 4 on SAM.gov calls for vendors capable of delivering a missile with “similar or improved capabilities” to the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), a supersonic air-to-ground munition designed to destroy mobile air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, GPS jammers, and antisatellite systems. Responses are due March 19.
The notice requires compatibility with the F-35, F-16, F-47, and B-21 Raider stealth bomber. This is the first public Air Force acquisition document tying a specific weapon to Boeing’s Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter.
The SiAW carries an antiradiation seeker, a guidance system that homes in on enemy radar emissions, capable of targeting frequency-agile and low-probability-of-intercept systems. The weapon is built for internal carriage on stealth aircraft, preserving their survivability while delivering rapid strikes against time-sensitive targets.
Northrop Grumman holds a $705 million development contract awarded in September 2023 after an initial phase that included Lockheed Martin and L3Harris. The company delivered the first SiAW test missile in November 2024 and completed a separation test from an F-16 in December 2025.
We completed a separation test of the Stand-In Attack Weapon from an F-16 with the @usairforce ! This milestone highlights SiAW’s flight safety, aerodynamic performance and progress toward integrating with fifth-generation platforms like the F-35. Read more:… pic.twitter.com/jtwWgBwsY3
— Northrop Grumman (@NGCNews) December 11, 2025
Fiscal 2026 budget documents show prototype development continuing through the first quarter of fiscal 2027, with first production deliveries targeted for 2030.
The Air Force is seeking annual production capacity of up to 600 all-up rounds, meaning complete missiles ready for combat use, with a 15-year service life. Additional requirements include precision GPS and inertial navigation with antijamming features, electronic counter-countermeasures, and the ability to reattack.
Capacity Concerns
Retired Col. Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the SiAW would prove critical in both ongoing and future conflicts.
“It’s the kind of weapon that if we had it in quantity would be very valuable in current operations in Iran and definitely in the Pacific,” Gunzinger said.
The notice does not state why the Air Force is seeking alternate sources or whether additional vendors would affect the Northrop Grumman contract.
