AIM-120 AMRAAM
IOC: September 1991
Total Production: 16,000
Total Program's Cost: USD$13.2 billion
AIM-120C AMRAAM
IOC: 1996
Unitary Cost: USD$430,000
Also Known As
AIM-120C5
AIM-120C7
RB99
Origin
United States of America
Contractor/s
Raytheon
Applications
EA-18G Growler
F-15K Slam Eagle
F/A-22A Raptor
NCADE
Saab 37 Viggen
Sea Harrier F/A.2
Tornado ADV
Typhoon
Typhoon T1
Family Members
AIM-120 P3I AMRAAM
AIM-120A AMRAAM
AIM-120B AMRAAM
AIM-120D AMRAAM
SL-AMRAAM
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Description:
The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a medium-range, air-to-air missile designed to meet the requirements of the United States and allied nations. The AIM-120 missile is faster, smaller and lighter than its predecessor the AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range missile and also has improved capabilities against low-altitude targets. AMRAAM incorporates active radar seeker with mid-course inertial navigation making it less dependent on aircraft's fire control radar. That capability enables simultaneous AMRAAM launching against different targets. For better performance AMRAAM can receive target location updates from the radar system of the launch aircraft. It has a blast fragmentation warhead detonated by a proximity fuse.
The combat proven AIM-120 AMRAAM missile was employed during military campaigns over Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia. The Air Forces of 18 nations operate the AMRAAM missile. The AMRAAM missile is operational on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-4F, JAS-39, Sea-Harrier and Tornado aircraft. Raytheon is integrating the AIM-120 on the Eurofighter-Typhoon, F/A-22A and Harrier II+. AIM-120's flexibility concept allows it to be integrated on ground systems becoming a surface-to-air missile. It is being integrated on Norway's NASAMS, Hawk-AMRAAM and HMMWV Surface-to-Air Systems.
The AIM-120C missile is the latest AMRAAM variant and is reprogrammable like the AIM-120B. The AIM-120C has smaller control surfaces to fulfill F/A-22's internal carriage requirements also features an improved warhead.
On 11 August 2004, the UK MoD awarded Raytheon a $144 million contract to provide AIM-120 C-5 AMRAAM missiles as well as associated equipment and services. The contract funds a period of 10 years with options to increase it to 25 years. The AMRAAM is an interim solution to the BVRAAM (Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile) program which would be fulfilled with MBDA's Meteor long range missile.
As of April 2005, the US Air Force and US Navy AMRAAM missile production was expected to conclude by 2007. In December 2004 Raytheon received the last known contract from the US Air Force worth $200 million for the follow-on production of 434 additional missiles.
On 29 September 2006, the US Air Force awarded Raytheon a $66 million procurement contract for 123 AIM-120C5 missiles, related services and equipment on behalf of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Deliveries were scheduled for completion November 2008 with the United States receiving 9 missiles.
Specifications
Dimensions: Diameter 180 mm, Length 3.7 m, Width 450 mm
Weights: Max Weight 157 kg (346 lb), Warhead 20 kg (44 lb)
Performance: Max Range 48,000 m (157,480 ft), Top Speed 1,360 mps (Mach 4)
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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
Last Updated: Sunday, March 07, 2010
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