F/A-18D Completes Second Successful AGM-88E AARGM Firing

Released on Monday, August 18, 2008

'Two for Two' on Operational Assessment (OA) Missile Firings Keeps AARGM on Course for Milestone C Decision and Entry into Low Rate Production

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK), the U.S. Navy, and the Italian Air Force completed another challenging missile firing of the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake on August 11, 2008. The missile test firing was the second of two "Operational Assessment" firings needed to support a Milestone C Decision and entry into Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP).

The operationally realistic scenario demonstrated AARGM's lethality against the modern and advanced air defense systems employing shutdown tactics. Launched from an FA-18D Hornet, the AARGM detected, identified, located, and guided toward the emitter target using its Anti-Radiation Homing (ARH) receiver. After target radar emissions were purposely shut-down during the missile's flight profile, AARGM utilized its GPS/INS to guide to the final ARH cue and then employed active Millimeter Wave (MMW) radar tracking for terminal guidance against the shut-down air defense site. The firing was the fourth of eight planned developmental and the final missile live-fire event leading to a Milestone C LRIP decision for AARGM. It continues the programs impressive record of test firings.

"We are exceptionally pleased with AARGM's history of test firings. The combined ATK, Navy, and Italian effort has put us in position to reach Milestone C consistent with the program's original Milestone B plan," said Jack Cronin, President, ATK Mission Systems. "This result brings us one step closer to delivering an affordable and precise Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (DEAD) capability to the U.S., Italian and other Allied Forces through the upgrade of legacy HARM weapons."