The AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) will be equipped with L3Harris’s Red Wolf cruise missile, within the framework of a new contract awarded by the U.S. Department of the Navy. The incorporation of this capability seeks to strengthen the strike power and survivability of rotary-wing aircraft in land and maritime scenarios, expanding their range and accuracy against advanced threats.
On January 30, the Department of the Navy announced the award of a contract worth $86.2 million to L3Harris Technologies for the Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM), the central component of this initiative. The program will provide the Marine Corps with a weapon of greater range and precision, capable of generating kinetic and non-kinetic effects from AH-1Z helicopters in operational environments both on land and embarked.
In recent years, the Marine Corps carried out a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) related to the Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM). Tests confirmed the capability of rotary-wing aircraft operating at low altitude to execute offensive anti-surface warfare and maritime strike missions, results that influenced the decision to formalize the contract.
“We are proud to partner with L3Harris Technologies to deliver a system that will provide a decisive advantage to Marine Corps pilots and support their missions worldwide,” said Rear Admiral Tony Rossi, head of the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO (U&W)). The contract was awarded by the office of the Direct and Time-Sensitive Strike Weapons Program (PMA-242), under the Other Transaction Agreement/Authority (OTA) modality, a mechanism used to accelerate the development and incorporation of prototypes.
Regarding this contractual modality, Captain Lindsey Buzzell, program manager of PMA-242, noted that “the use of an OTA contract is a key part of this strategy, designed to rapidly prototype and deploy a capability essential for operations in contested environments and against advanced adversaries.” As stipulated, L3Harris must deliver all units, manuals, training systems, support, and test equipment for the AH-1Z before the close of fiscal year 2027.
Additionally, L3Harris has also promoted the integration of similar capabilities on other platforms, such as the OA-1K Skyraider II attack aircraft, intended for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). During 2025, this aircraft was subject to questions regarding its usefulness in high-intensity conflicts, in a context marked by reduced orders from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), which projects to incorporate six units in fiscal year 2026. In this scenario, the company has intensified efforts to improve the operational prospects of the Skyraider II, including the possible integration of missiles like the Red Wolf, with the aim of expanding its relevance in contemporary scenarios.
*Images for illustrative purposes.
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