Missile defense

AMRAAM Part of Strong Missile Market Growth

Oct. 30, 2018
The latest version of the AMRAAM Extended Range missile is a ground-launched weapon with enhanced target interception capabilities over longer distances and at higher altitudes.

Raytheon Company’s RTN Missile Systems (MS) business division recently secured a $62 million cost-plus-incentive-fee option contract for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. The contract, which was awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., calls for the form, fit, and function refresh of the AMRAAM guidance section per the exercise of options about Phase 5 activities and foreign military sales (FMS) drawings. The contract is expected to be completed by December 21, 2020, with work performed primarily in Tucson, Ariz. It will involve FMS to Norway, Turkey, Japan, Romania, and Australia.

The AMRAAM system, with its AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range-Air-to-Air missiles, features beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) capable of all-weather day-and-night operation which is highly dependent upon its sophisticated active guidance subsystem. The AMRAAM system has been demonstrated in more than 4,200 test shots and 10 air-to-air combat victories and has been procured by 37 nations, including the U.S. It has been installed in the best-known and trusted military aircraft, including F-16, F-15, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Tornado, and Harrier jets.

Raytheon has enjoyed strong growth as the demand for military missile systems has grown across the international market. The company has experienced sizable recent FMS contracts more than $1 billion for its PATRIOT missile systems, from Sweden and Poland, because of growing international political tensions. This has established Raytheon as an international market leader in military missile systems—a market that is expected to rise steadily through 2022.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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