The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million hypersonic missile production contract, marking the transition of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, known as ARRW, from prototyping and flight testing to production, according to a Monday announcement.
Service officials said the late-September award moves ARRW into fielding under the Defense Department’s Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink called the decision a turning point in the service’s advanced weapons roadmap, saying the move provides combatant commanders with a credible, high-speed strike option against advanced anti-access and area-denial systems.
ARRW hypersonic missile production contract details
The boost-glide system uses a solid-fuel rocket booster to accelerate beyond Mach 5 before releasing a hypersonic glide vehicle. According to the Air Force, the weapon is intended to enable rapid, time-sensitive strikes on heavily defended targets from standoff ranges.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said fielding ARRW strengthens the service’s ability to hold targets at risk globally and gives the Joint Force a flexible and rapid response option in highly contested environments.
The announcement did not disclose the number of missiles to be produced or delivery timelines, citing operational security.
The Air Force previously moved to halt ARRW procurement in 2023 after its prototyping phase, following unsuccessful tests, and shifted emphasis to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program. In 2025, then-Chief of Staff Gen. David Allen told Congress the service intended to revive ARRW with new funding in the fiscal 2026 budget proposal after omitting it from the fiscal 2025 request.
Budget documents show the service requested about $387 million for ARRW procurement in fiscal 2026 and sought $452 million for fiscal 2027.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $694 million hypersonic missile production contract, marking the transition of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, known as ARRW, from prototyping and flight testing to production, according to a Monday announcement.
Service officials said the late-September award moves ARRW into fielding under the Defense Department’s Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink called the decision a turning point in the service’s advanced weapons roadmap, saying the move provides combatant commanders with a credible, high-speed strike option against advanced anti-access and area-denial systems.
The boost-glide system uses a solid-fuel rocket booster to accelerate beyond Mach 5 before releasing a hypersonic glide vehicle. According to the Air Force, the weapon is intended to enable rapid, time-sensitive strikes on heavily defended targets from standoff ranges.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said fielding ARRW strengthens the service’s ability to hold targets at risk globally and gives the Joint Force a flexible and rapid response option in highly contested environments.
The announcement did not disclose the number of missiles to be produced or delivery timelines, citing operational security.
The Air Force previously moved to halt ARRW procurement in 2023 after its prototyping phase, following unsuccessful tests, and shifted emphasis to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program. In 2025, then-Chief of Staff Gen. David Allen told Congress the service intended to revive ARRW with new funding in the fiscal 2026 budget proposal after omitting it from the fiscal 2025 request.
Budget documents show the service requested about $387 million for ARRW procurement in fiscal 2026 and sought $452 million for fiscal 2027.
Service officials said the late-September award moves ARRW into fielding under the Defense Department’s Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink called the decision a turning point in the service’s advanced weapons roadmap, saying the move provides combatant commanders with a credible, high-speed strike option against advanced anti-access and area-denial systems.
The Air Force previously moved to halt ARRW procurement in 2023 after its prototyping phase, following unsuccessful tests, and shifted emphasis to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program. In 2025, then-Chief of Staff Gen. David Allen told Congress the service intended to revive ARRW with new funding in the fiscal 2026 budget proposal after omitting it from the fiscal 2025 request.
Budget documents show the service requested about $387 million for ARRW procurement in fiscal 2026 and sought $452 million for fiscal 2027. Related reporting appears in USAF moves ARRW hypersonic missile into production.