Northrop Grumman was awarded a $322.5 million contract for engineering and manufacturing development of new rocket motors for a missile system the Navy uses on several aircraft.

The contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, includes the design, integration and test of a new solid rocket motor for the AGM-88G variant of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile -- Extended Range, or AARGM-ER, for use on F/A-18E/F, EA-18G and F-35A/C aircraft.

AGM-88G is a supersonic, air-launched tactical missile system that upgrades legacy AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile systems against enemy air defense missions, according to Northrop Grumman.

Ninety-eight percent of the work will be performed at Northrop Grumman's subsidiary, Orbital ATK, in Northridge, Calif., and the remaining 2 percent in Ridgecrest, Calif. Orbital ATK is a provider of aerospace and defense technologies.

Work is expected to be completed in December 2023.

Naval 2019 fiscal research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $55.1 million will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

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