The US Department of the Air Force (DAF) has awarded a $694m production contract to Lockheed Martin for the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW).
This contract was executed on 29 September 2026 under the Department of War’s Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract.
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The move advances the programme from development and testing to operational production, underscoring the Air Force’s renewed commitment to fielding a standoff, high-speed strike weapon after earlier setbacks and uncertainty.
The DAF did not disclose the number of missiles covered or their delivery schedule, citing operational security.
Air Force secretary Troy Meink said: “This is a turning point in our advanced weapons roadmap. By moving ARRW from test to production, we’re providing our combatant commanders with a credible, high-speed strike weapon capable of penetrating the most advanced anti-access and area-denial systems.”
Designed by Lockheed Martin, ARRW is a boost-glide hypersonic weapon. A solid-fuel rocket booster accelerates the missile beyond Mach 5 before releasing a hypersonic glide vehicle, according to the department.
The system is intended to provide the US Air Force with a standoff strike option against time-sensitive and defended targets.
While the Air Force has not confirmed which bombers will ultimately carry the AGM-183A ARRW, the missile was tested on the B-52H Stratofortress in 2022, and the B-1B Lancer was observed carrying the weapon in April this year.
The missile was initially expected to reach early operational capability by September 2022, but a series of unsuccessful tests led to the ARRW programme being shelved in March 2023.
The Air Force announced that it would end ARRW after completing test flights of the final two developmental missiles and did not then intend to pursue follow-on procurement.
Andrew Hunter, the service’s then acquisition executive, gave that position in testimony prepared for the House Armed Services Committee.
However, there were subsequent indications that ARRW had not been permanently abandoned. The Air Force’s fiscal 2026 budget allocated $362m to acquire its first operational missiles.
The fiscal 2027 President’s Budget requested $452m in procurement funding for ARRW.
No timeline for the fielding has been provided by the Air Force.
Air Force chief of staff general Ken Wilsbach said: “Fielding ARRW enhances our ability to hold targets at risk anywhere around the world. This hypersonic weapon provides the Joint Force a flexible and rapid response option for highly contested environments.”
