According to Phil Jasper, President of Raytheon, production of the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile) – the most important air-to-air missile for Western armed forces – was doubled in 2024. It is set to be doubled again this year.

AMRAAM is operated by the US Air Force, the US Navy and the US Marine Corps (-> current news about the US armed forces) and can be ordered via the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the USA from third countries.

Demand has risen to historic heights

Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war), demand has virtually exploded. A number of countries have handed over older AMRAAM versions to Ukraine and now have to replenish their stocks. However, it has also become apparent that these older versions in particular require significantly more support from the fire control system, as the outdated radar in the missile has difficulties with small signatures.

©Military News

In the run-up to the largest AMRAAM export order (-> Japan to buy up to 1,200 AMRAAM missiles), the USA and Japan agreed to co-produce AMRAAM (and Patriot PAC-3 missiles) in July 2024. As part of this new agreement, Japan is the first country to receive a license to produce AMRAAM on its own.

In 2024, the USA received requests for quotations for well over 3,000 AMRAAMs. For 2025, 1,600 have been requested so far. These figures do not include the US armed forces’ own requirements.

AMRAAM being prepared for F-15 - ©US Air Force
An AMRAAM air-to-air missile is being prepared for installation on a US Air Force F-15.

Many countries want to buy new AMRAAM

The latest purchase inquiries and the corresponding offers from DSCA for AMRAAM were received:

  • January 26, 2024, Turkey: Up to 952 AIM-120C-8s and accessories included in a major F-16 upgrade package for a total of 20.24 billion euros.
  • March 14, 2024, Poland: Up to 745 AIM-120C-8s and accessories for 1.49 billion euros.
  • April 13, 2024, Israel: 30 AIM-120C-8s and accessories for 90 million euros.
  • June 11, 2024, Norway: Up to 300 AIM-120C-8s and accessories for 1.7 billion euros.
  • August 22, 2024, Romania: Up to 186 AIM-120C-8s and accessories for 521 million euros.
  • September 9, 2024, Singapore: Up to 54 AIM-120C-8s and accessories for 117 million euros.
  • October 17, 2024, Germany: Up to 969 AIM-120C-8s and accessories for 2.55 billion euros.
  • October 30, 2024, Argentina: Up to 36 AIM-120C-8s and other accessories and F-16 armament for 867 million euros.
  • December 6, 2024, Netherlands: Up to 226 AIM-120D-3s and accessories for 710 million euros.
  • January 2, 2025, Japan: Up to 1,200 AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 as well as accessories for 3.2 billion euros.
  • April 9, 2025, Australia: Up to 200 AIM-120D-3 and 200 AIM-120C-8 plus accessories for 915 million euros.

8 Fragen und Antworten zur Übung „Trias” der Schweizer Armee

AIM-120 AMRAAM: Production in lots

The AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles are manufactured in so-called construction batches. The Pentagon combines the orders for a specific period into a package and negotiates this with the manufacturer Raytheon. The last lot to date, number 38, was awarded to Raytheon on September 11, 2024 at a price of 1.04 billion euros. The penultimate lot 37 was awarded on July 13, 2023 for 1.01 billion euros.

Launch of an AMRAAM from an F-35 - ©US Air Force
Launch of an AMRAAM from an F-35: Weapon packages are often a central component of aircraft purchases – and often make the actual unit costs difficult to comprehend.

AMRAAM integrated in many fighter aircraft

The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a medium-range air-to-air missile with active radar guidance that is also used in ground-based air defense systems. It is used by over 35 countries and is considered a central component of Western air defense systems.

The missile is designed to combat aircraft, bombers, cruise missiles and other air threats at ranges from around 30 kilometers to over 160 kilometers (depending on the version). It is 3.65 meters long, weighs between 150 and 160 kilograms depending on the version and has a 20-kilogram fragmentation warhead.

©Military News

Thanks to its solid rocket motor, it can reach speeds of up to Mach 4. The guidance system combines inertial-assisted navigation during the flight phase with active radar target search on final approach, which enables so-called “fire-and-forget” missions.

The AIM-120 is compatible with a wide range of platforms, including F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, F-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, FA-50 and ground-based systems such as NASAMS.

Tranche 1 Eurofighter with AMRAAM - ©Bundeswehr
The AMRAAM is only still the primary weapon in older Eurofighter versions – such as a Tranche 1 model of the German Air Force shown here. Modern Eurofighters, on the other hand, are equipped with the more powerful European Meteor.

The armed forces have no AMRAAM

In the course of the Eurofighter procurement, the Austrian Armed Forcesto acquire AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. However, the procurement was stopped by Defense Minister Günther Platter in order to stay within the budget of 1.969 billion euros legally approved by parliament at the time.

The current 1.6 billion euro package for air surveillance as part of the “2032+ recovery plan” could also include AMRAAM. The guided missile is an issue in connection with a potential Eurofighter upgrade, but could also be used to arm the planned future M-346FA jet trainer of the Austrian Armed Forces. in the future.

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