L3Harris Technologies has secured a contract to rapidly produce and deliver Red Wolf air-launched weapons to meet the US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM) requirement.
Announcing the selection on 30 January, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said the deal to arm USMC Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters is worth $82.2 million. That sum covers work to “develop, test and manufacture” the weapon, its developer confirms.
“L3Harris Technologies will deliver all units, manuals, training, support… and test equipment for [the] AH-1Z by [the] end of fiscal year 2027,” NAVAIR says.
Unveiled in July 2025, the air-launched Red Wolf has already demonstrated a precision strike capability from a distance of 200nm (370km).
“The [US] Navy’s selection builds off 52 launched effects vehicle flights, including recent low-altitude test firing from a Marine AH-1Z,” the company says.
In September 2025, an AH-1Z also successfully engaged a sea-based target using the weapon, as part of the USMC’s Long-Range Attack Missile capability demonstration effort.
“Recent conflicts and incursions over NATO airspace, particularly with the increased use of mass-produced drones, demonstrates the urgent need for cost-effective alternatives to exquisite munitions,” says L3Harris chief executive Christopher Kubasik. “Our Red Wolf can bring affordable mass to the Marines’ arsenal of advanced munitions,” he adds.
“The system’s beyond line-of-sight communication and autonomous over-the-horizon engagements will dramatically increase the number of aircraft available for strike missions,” the company states.
NAVAIR describes the PASM acquisition as “a critical component of the Marine Corps’ vision for enhancing the lethality and survivability of its rotary-wing assets”.
Captain Lindsey Buzzell, programme manager at NAVAIR’s Direct and Time Sensitive Strike Weapons programme office, notes that its acquisition strategy is “designed to rapidly prototype and field a capability that is essential for operations in contested environments and against advanced adversaries”.
Aviation analytics company Cirium records the USMC as having 187 examples of the AH-1Z Viper in active use.
In addition to the selected weapon, L3Harris also has developed a Green Wolf variant of its design, which is optimised for conducting electronic attack duties.
