US DoD awards Raytheon largest AIM-120 AMRAAM contract to date
US Air Force airmen prepare to load an AIM-120 AMRAAM at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in 2022. The recent USD3.5 billion AMRAAM production contract is the largest in the history of the programme. (USAF)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Raytheon a USD3.5 billion contract for AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) production, the department and company announced separately on 31 July. The award marks the largest in the programme's history, surpassing the previous USD1.19 billion awarded in September 2024.
The contract purchases AMRAAMs for the DoD services – the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps – and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) partners. FMS funding amounts to USD621 million, including missiles for NATO allies in addition to Australia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Taiwan, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Production Lots 39 and 40 are covered by the contract, including both AIM-120D-3 missiles for domestic services and AIM-120C-8 versions for export customers. Both versions of the missile underwent a ‘form, fit, function' refresh (F3R) to update obsolete components and add capabilities.
Work under the contract is expected to last through 2031.
Although official sources are vague about the missile's range, the AIM-120D-3 and C-8 versions can likely engage targets as distant as 160 km, according to Janes Weapons: Air-launched . AMRAAM is guided by an active radar seeker, buttressed by mid-course GPS guidance and a two-way datalink.
Raytheon deferred requests for comment to the DoD, which had not responded at the time of publication.
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