Raytheon Company and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) are developing a new signal processor for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) under the Form Fit Function Refresh program, or F3R. The refresh will help ensure AMRAAM production well into the 2020s.
The new program comes as the government and industry team completes production of the 20,000th AMRAAM. With 10 combat victories and more than 4,200 successful test firings, AMRAAM remains the most proven and most technologically advanced air-to-air weapon ever produced.
“AMRAAM is and always has been the best missile of its kind. With the Air Force, we have evolved it beyond expectation, and we will continue to innovate to stay far ahead of the threats our armed services face,” said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, President of Raytheon’s Missile Systems business.
AMRAAM’s ability to track targets in electronic warfare environments makes it the leader in the air-to-air arena. Procured by 37 nations, AMRAAM has flown on more aircraft worldwide than any other air-to-air missile.
The AMRAAM® air-to-air missile is the world's most sophisticated air dominance weapon. With more than 25 years of design, upgrades, testing and production, the AIM-120 missile continues to meet all warfighter requirements. Its capabilities have been fully demonstrated in more than 4,200 test shots and 10 air-to-air combat victories.
The AMRAAM missile is a versatile and proven weapon with operational flexibility in a wide variety of scenarios, including air-to-air and surface-launch engagements. In the surface launch role, it is the baseline weapon on the NASAMS™ launcher.
In the air-to-air role, no other missile compares to the AMRAAM missile. The weapon's advanced active guidance section provides aircrew with a high degree of combat flexibility and lethality. Its mature seeker design allows it to quickly find targets in the most combat challenging environments.
Procured by 37 countries including the U.S., the combat-proven AMRAAM missile has been integrated onto the F-16, F-15, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado and Harrier. The AIM-120C5 and AIM-120C7 missiles are fully integrated onto the F-35 and support the U.S. Marine Corp’s F-35B initial operational capability as the only air-to-air missile qualified on the F-35.
The AMRAAM-Extended Range missile is a new, ground-launched solution that will intercept targets at longer distances and higher altitudes. The AMRAAM-ER missile gets its boost in range from integration of the ESSM® missile rocket motor and smarter flight control algorithms.
Designed specifically for ground-based air defense, the AMRAAM-ER missile will be integrated into the NASAMS launcher to provide increased air defense protection in the medium range air defense market.
The NASAMS launcher is deployed by six countries, in production for a seventh, and has been integrated into the U.S.’ National Capital Region’s air defense system since 2005. Manufactured by Raytheon and Kongsberg, the NASAMS system is in service with Norway, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, the United States and one undisclosed country. It is also currently in production for Oman.
The AMRAAM air-to-air missile packs unprecedented performance into a lightweight, cost-effective package. Because of the weapon's ongoing modernization and proven performance, it continues to deliver the highest dependability and versatility at the lowest cost of ownership.
Photo: An F-35A Lightning II fired an AMRAAM® air-to-air missile off the California coast during a test on 30 October 2014.