Pentagon contracts AMRAAM missiles for Ukraine

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Raytheon a contract worth $192 million to purchase AIM-120 missiles.

According to a press release from the Department of Defense, this contract provides for Raytheon to purchase fielded AIM-120 weapons from various sources.

Fiscal 2023 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds in the amount of $7,688,220 are being obligated at the time of award, the release said.

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The work, which is expected to be complete in Nov., 2024, will be performed in Tucson, where Raytheon builds the missiles.

The AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, better known as AMRAAM, is a new generation all-weather, missile manufactured by Raytheon. The AMRAAM is in service with the US Air Force (USAF), US Navy (USN), and over 25 US-allied nations.

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 NASAM launcher.

According to Raytheon, 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.

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