![]() The AIM-120 underwent a rigorous eight-year test program and was operational in 1991. In 1981 Hughes was awarded a full-scale development contract for the new medium range missile after a competitive "fly-off" against Raytheon. ![]() The joint Air Force-Navy AMRAAM program began with a 1975 study which recommended that future aerial threats be engaged at 3-40 miles of range. ![]() The higher speed, greater range and improved maneuverability of AMRAAM have greatly increased its operational effectiveness over the Sparrow. You can learn more about the AIM-120 AMRAAM on the Air Force fact sheet here.įeature image: U.S.The AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile is an all-weather "fire-and-forget" weapon designed to replace the AIM-7 Sparrow. Guidance System: Active radar terminal/inertial midcourse Wingspan: 20.7 inches (52.58 centimeters) Launch Weight: 335 pounds (150.75 kilograms) Primary Function: Air-to-air tactical missileĬontractor: Hughes Aircraft Co. The following are the specs of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Related: America has 6 new air-to-air missiles headed for service AIM-120 AMRAAM Specs (U.S. All we know for certain is that, because this weapon is expected to offer similar dimensions to the AMRAAM, it should be easily stowed within the weapons bays of stealth fighters like the F-35 and F-22. To date, the full range, propulsion type, or capability set expected to be offered by this missile all remain classified. The joint Air Force and Navy JATM development effort was first disclosed in 2019, though few details have surfaced since. Seeing as the AMRAM is already capable of reaching targets in triple-digit ranges, this advanced new replacement is expected to offer a significant leap in capability over the PL-15, renewing America’s beyond-visual-range advantage. Slated to replace the long-serving AIM-120 AMRAAM, the AIM-260 is expected to be about the same size, but with a significant increase in range meant to offset the reach of China’s much-touted PL-15 radar-guided air-to-air missile, which has a claimed range of around 124 miles. The AIM-260 JATM is perhaps the highest-profile new air-to-air missile in development for the United States. now has a longer-ranged radar-guided air-to-air missile in development Related: SPECS: AIM-9 Sidewinder missile AMRAAM’s replacementĪrtist render of F-22 Raptor firing a new air-to-air missile that may be an AIM-260.īut the U.S. Over more than three decades since the missile reached its initial operating capability, over 40 countries have placed at least one of the four AMRAAM iterations into service. However, the Air Force did not disclose the actual range of this engagement. Air Force announced that an F-15C Eagle had set a new record for the longest recorded air-to-air kill in history when it engaged a BQM-167 subscale target drone from “the furthest distance ever recorded” over Tyndall AFB in Florida. It has been widely reported by reputable media outlets that the latest iteration of the AMRAAM, known as the AIM-12D, actually has a range of at least 87 nautical miles, which translates to about 100 miles, or 161 kilometers. The Air Force lists the AMRAAM’s range as 20+ miles, which, in terms of the weapon’s latest iterations, could be a contender for understatement of the century. America’s AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air missile, better known as the AMRRAM, is a radar-guided missile carried by a variety of fighters to engage enemy aircraft at beyond-visual ranges.
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