Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force have completed a successful separation test of the Stand-in Attack Weapon from an F-16.
The test, conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, focused on validating safe release and aerodynamic performance when carried by the F-16. According to the companies, the event confirmed that the missile separates cleanly from the aircraft, an essential milestone before broader flight testing and platform integration can proceed.
US Air Force officials said the data gathered would directly inform future development. Col Gary E Roos, senior materiel leader in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Adaptive Weapons Division, said the trial was intended to “provide the United States Air Force validation of the weapon’s safe separation characteristics and also generate invaluable data for optimizing its performance.” He added that the results could reinforce SiAW’s role in giving US forces “a critical advantage… in the face of evolving threats.”
SiAW is designed as a precision, air-to-ground missile able to strike time-sensitive and heavily defended targets inside contested airspace. It is intended to expand the Air Force’s options against high-value land targets protected by modern air defences, operating in environments where standoff weapons may be less effective.
Northrop Grumman said the successful separation demonstrated the maturity of the missile’s design. Chuck Johnson, the company’s vice president for advanced weapons, described the test as “a key step forward for the SiAW program,” adding that the data would allow engineers to continue development toward delivering “a highly survivable precision strike weapon that will meet current and future mission needs.”
Although the F-16 was used for this phase, the programme is closely tied to the US Air Force’s plans for fifth-generation aircraft. Safe separation from the F-16 is seen as an important precursor to integration on platforms such as the F-35, where internal carriage and release in complex flight regimes present additional challenges.
