Northrop Grumman, in partnership with the United States Air Force, recently completed a separation test of the Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) from an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.
The test was conducted at Eglin Air Force Base on December 11, 2025.
The objective of the test was to validate flight safety and the aerodynamic performance of the SiAW during release from the aircraft, as well as to demonstrate the missile’s progress toward integration with fifth-generation platforms such as the F-35 Lightning II.
Safe separation from the F-16 represents a significant milestone for the program and reinforces the maturity of the system’s design.
According to Colonel Gary E. Roos, senior materiel leader of the Adaptive Weapons Division at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the test is intended to provide the U.S. Air Force with validation of the weapon’s safe separation characteristics, while also generating essential data to optimize its performance. He noted that the results reinforce SiAW’s ability to deliver a critical advantage to warfighters in the face of constantly evolving threats.
Chuck Johnson, vice president of advanced weapons at Northrop Grumman, highlighted that the milestone is a fundamental step for the SiAW program. With the data obtained during the test, the company will continue development of the missile, with the ultimate goal of delivering an essential capability to the armed forces. “Our work ensures that the U.S. Air Force has a highly survivable precision strike weapon capable of meeting current and future mission needs,” he said.
About SiAW
The Stand-In Attack Weapon is an air-to-ground missile designed to rapidly engage and neutralize time-sensitive, high-value threats in highly contested environments. The system expands the U.S. Air Force’s target set, including heavily defended ground objectives.
Developed using digital engineering, SiAW adopts open-architecture interfaces, enabling rapid subsystem upgrades and the agile integration of new capabilities. The missile is part of Northrop Grumman’s broad portfolio of advanced weapons, which includes armaments, components, missiles, electronics, and interceptors.
Source and images: Northrop Grumman. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
