Albuquerque, NM, Sept. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), a defense industry leader, has been awarded a 24-month contract by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Eglin Munitions Directorate, to serve as the System Design Agent for the development of a prototype air-to-ground Next Generation Penetrator weapon system. ARA will also produce and test sub-scale and full-scale prototype munitions. This effort will evaluate capabilities against hard and deeply buried targets that pose critical challenges to U.S. national security.
Under this contract, ARA has established an exclusive partnership with The Boeing Company, which will serve as a key contributor. Leveraging decades of experience in guided and penetrating munitions, ARA will lead design maturation, while Boeing will drive tail kit development and support all-up-round integration.
The award further strengthens ARA’s reputation as a trusted System Design Agent and partner in mission and system analysis, design, testing, and quality assurance, underscoring the company’s continued growth in advancing national defense priorities.
“We are honored to continue supporting AFLCMC with innovative solutions that advance their mission,” said ARA President and CEO Rob Sues. “The ARA-Boeing Team has unique expertise, and this award emphasizes the trust that AFLCMC EBD places in ARA’s proven capabilities and long-standing commitment to excellence.”
Over the past decade, ARA has played a critical role in the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of every large penetrating weapon system fielded by the U.S. Air Force.
ARA’s penetrating weapon systems have been validated through rigorous testing and operational deployment. ARA offers a full suite of physics-based digital engineering and model-based system engineering technologies required for success, including validated models, test data, navigation and guidance solutions, tail kit and warhead integration, advanced prototyping and manufacturing processes, established supplier relationships, and the experience to provide a technically superior, low-risk solution that meets performance and schedule requirements.
This effort reflects ARA’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions that strengthen national security. By advancing next-generation penetrating weapon systems, ARA continues to play a vital role in safeguarding national interests and ensuring the United States maintains the decisive edge against evolving threats.
About ARA
Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) was founded in 1979, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to offer science and engineering research to solve problems of national importance. ARA delivers leading-edge products and innovative solutions for national defense, energy, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 2,300 employee-owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement.
- Next Generation Penetrator