New Northrop Grumman AReS missile launcher enables fast deployment against enemy radar.

During ADEX 2025, Northrop Grumman introduced its Advanced Reactive Strike (AReS) launcher, a containerized missile system designed for quick deployment against enemy radar and air defenses. The system expands ground-based strike capabilities by adapting proven anti-radar missile technology for mobile land and maritime use.

Seoul, South Korea, October 22, 2025 - At ADEX 2025 in Seoul, Northrop Grumman unveiled the Advanced Reactive Strike (AReS) missile launcher, a modular, containerized system developed to counter hostile radar networks through rapid, precision strikes. The launcher is engineered to fire a long-range anti-radiation missile originally used on aircraft, now repurposed for ground and surface missions. Company representatives emphasized that AReS supports flexible deployment in dispersed environments, aligning with the U.S. military’s push toward agile and survivable strike operations.
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Scale model of Northrop Grumman’s AReS containerized missile launcher displayed at ADEX 2025, illustrating the ground-based deployment concept for the AGM-88G AARGM-ER. (Picture source: mason_8718 X account)

U.S. Northrop Grumman's AReS (Advanced Reactive Strike) display drew considerable attention, featuring what appeared to be a standard 20- or 40-foot (6.1 or 12.2 metres) ISO container concealing a four-cell vertical launcher capable of rapidly deploying AARGM-ER missiles. Designed for maximum mobility, concealment, and ease of deployment, AReS reflects a growing Pentagon interest in dispersed launch capabilities that complicate enemy targeting and reduce dependency on vulnerable fixed infrastructure. The system uses the same precision strike missile developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, but in this case adapted for surface launch from land or sea platforms.

AARGM-ER, or the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range, features a dual-mode seeker combining passive radar homing with an active millimetre wave radar. Originally intended for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) from tactical aircraft like the F/A-18 and F-35, the missile has been redesigned to integrate into surface platforms via AReS. This adaptation required significant reengineering to allow for cold launch, containerised vertical ejection, and networking with ground-based command and control systems. According to U.S. testing records, the missile began ground-based adaptation trials in fiscal year 2024 and is scheduled to enter operational assessment in early 2026.

The AReS system’s key advantage lies in its modularity and stealthy deployment. By using standard ISO containers, the launcher can be transported by commercial or military trucks, placed aboard ships, or pre-positioned across forward operating bases without attracting attention. Once deployed, the launcher elevates its missile cell vertically and can fire within minutes, making it an ideal asset for countering mobile radar systems or enemy infrastructure in A2/AD zones. A Northrop Grumman spokesperson at ADEX described the system as "a force equalizer that turns logistics assets into launch nodes."

At the same time, the South Korean defense community is working rapidly to close the technological gap with its own containerized missile system. Though still under development, the program informally referred to as K-ARM is understood to be a ground-launched strike missile designed to carry out similar missions as the AARGM-ER. Sources within South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) suggest that the K-ARM program is focused on creating a multi-domain missile with the capability to destroy enemy radar, missile batteries, and high-value mobile targets deep behind the front line.

While no prototype was displayed at ADEX, several graphics at Korean defense booths hinted at a modular ground-launched system using a truck-mounted or container-based vertical launcher. South Korean analysts indicate that K-ARM could be based on an enhanced derivative of the Cheongung-II interceptor platform or draw from the long-range cruise missile technologies developed for the Hyunmoo family. The system is expected to include domestic seeker and guidance packages, potentially incorporating both passive electronic support measures and active radar tracking.

Military observers note that South Korea's interest in a containerized strike missile stems from two strategic imperatives: increasing survivability through mobility and contributing more to alliance-based offensive operations across the peninsula and surrounding seas. A senior defense analyst in Seoul told Army Recognition that, “South Korea is no longer content to rely solely on defensive systems. K-ARM represents the beginning of a new doctrine focused on denial through precision strike.”

The parallels between AReS and K-ARM are not coincidental. Both systems reflect a global shift in missile strategy toward flexible, ground-based, and easily deployable platforms that can be hidden in plain sight. Containerised systems blur the line between logistics and firepower, creating what some military planners are calling a "launch-anywhere" doctrine. For countries like the United States and South Korea, this capability enhances operational unpredictability, allowing them to strike from dispersed and unanticipated locations.

There are also strong export implications. Northrop Grumman’s AReS is already being offered to select U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe, where distributed launch capabilities are highly valued. Meanwhile, K-ARM, if successfully fielded, could position South Korea as a supplier of advanced strike capabilities to regional partners seeking alternatives to high-cost Western systems.

From a technical standpoint, questions remain. The adaptation of AARGM-ER to surface launch via AReS demands a reworking of propulsion and exhaust management systems, as well as upgraded ground-based targeting integration. The AARGM-ER missile has an extended range of over 300 kilometers (186 miles), and when launched from the containerised AReS platform, it can potentially reach similar distances with high-speed trajectory correction and precision strike capability. For K-ARM, key uncertainties include the range envelope, estimated by experts to exceed 250 kilometers (155 miles), sensor fusion capabilities, and whether the system will be dual-use for land attack and anti-radiation missions. Defense officials from both countries have remained guarded on operational specifics, but testing timelines suggest that 2026–2027 could see early operational capability for both platforms.

Ultimately, what ADEX 2025 revealed is that containerized missile systems are not merely experimental or niche solutions. They are fast becoming essential elements of modern deterrence architecture. Whether for striking enemy radar, crippling logistics hubs, or denying maritime freedom of action, these systems offer governments new strategic tools in an era of grey zone conflict and fast-moving escalation cycles.

For our readers, Army Recognition will continue to track these developments with in-depth reporting on upcoming trials, contract awards, and technology integrations. In a battlefield shaped by speed, concealment, and precision, container-launched strike systems may become the defining weapon of next-generation ground warfare.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.