Aviation News – The U.S. Marine Corps will equip its AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters with long-range precision-guided Red Wolf missiles by 2027 after the Navy awarded L3Harris Technologies an $86.2 million production contract, expanding the aircraft’s strike reach and battlefield effectiveness.
The contract, announced by Naval Air Systems Command, supports the Marine Corps’ Precision Attack Strike Munition program and marks the formal selection of L3Harris’ Red Wolf system as a new air-launched weapon. Under the agreement, the company will manufacture missile systems designed to integrate with the Viper fleet, giving Marine aviation units a modernized capability to engage targets at extended ranges while reducing exposure to enemy defenses.
Red Wolf is designed as a precision-guided, network-enabled munition that can be bolted onto existing aircraft architectures with minimal modification. The missile uses advanced guidance and communications to strike fixed and moving targets with high accuracy, allowing crews to launch from safer standoff distances. For Viper crews, the added range and precision translate into greater survivability and more flexible mission planning in contested environments.
