A 40th Flight Test Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon releases a Stand-in Attack Weapon at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Photo, Blake Wiles/US Air Force.
The US Air Force has tested its Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) from an F-16 Fighting Falcon, marking the missile’s first successful launch from an aircraft.
The SiAW air-to-surface missile is designed to target rapidly relocatable threats such as cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and jamming platforms.
While the missile lacked a rocket motor and internal electronics, the demonstration tested the SiAW’s ability to separate from an aircraft using a specific tool, the jettison test vehicle.
Engineers from the Eglin Central Control Facility monitored the trial and will schedule further tests based on post-flight analysis.
The latest test, described by the US Air Force as a milestone in developing the SiAW and integrating it with aircraft fleets, follows the delivery of a prototype for testing by the missile manufacturer Northrop Grumman last month.
The SiAW can strike rapidly relocatable targets within enemy anti-access and area-denial environments.
It leverages digital engineering and a Weapon Open System Architecture interface to incorporate upgrades promptly.
In 2023, Northrop Grumman won a $705 million contract to develop the SiAW for the US Air Force, including testing and integration with the F-35 combat jet fleet.
The work will be led by the Armament Directorate of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, with SiAW prototypes expected to reach initial operational capability by 2026.
