The United States Air Force has engaged three American defense firms — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris Technologies — to advance a stand-in assault weapon (SiAW) for the F-35 fleet. This initiative aims to enable F-35 fighters to strike enemy ground-based air defense systems, including mobile platforms, along with launcher sites for cruise and ballistic missiles.
The project brief notes that backup systems should not rival the long-range reach of missiles deployed from B-52 bombers.
At the same time, the design must be integrated into the aircraft interior so as not to compromise the F-35’s radar stealth profile.
Each contractor will work under a contract valued at approximately $2 million, with the study results due within three months. Separate plans call for an additional investment of around $78 million to procure 42 missile samples for testing and evaluation.
In related developments, the Finnish Ministry of Defense has outlined plans to station 64 American F-35 fighters at the airbase in Rovaniemi. The city lies about 150 kilometers from the Russia-Finland border and roughly 8 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle.
Last December, Finnish authorities signaled an intent to procure F-35 aircraft from the United States to replace the aging F/A-18 fleet. The initial batch is expected to arrive in Rovaniemi by 2026, marking a significant upgrade in Finland’s airborne capabilities. These moves reflect broader shifts in North Atlantic defense postures as nations modernize their fighter fleets and allied interoperability expands, according to Defense News and official briefings (for attribution).