US Air Force Orders AMRAAM Missiles From Raytheon Worth $972Mln - Pentagon

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2022) Raytheon Missiles and Defense has won a more than $972 million US Air Force contract to make more Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), the Defense Department said.

"Raytheon Missiles & Defense is awarded a $972 million contract for upgraded AMRAAM missiles," the Defense Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

The deal is the first AMRAAM contract to produce an entire lot of AIM-120D3 and AIM-120C8 missiles developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) format, which updates both the missile's hardware and software, the release said.

"This contract underscores the importance of AMRAAM in the warfighters' arsenal," Raytheon Missiles & Defense Air Power President Paul Ferraro said in the release. "These missiles, developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh have the most advanced hardware and software needed to compete with peer adversaries,"

In addition to providing missiles to both, the US Air Force and the US Navy, under the contract, Raytheon will also supply AMRAAM missiles to 19 countries, extending the production line for both the US and allied partners, the release said.

Under the F3R program, engineers used model-based systems engineering initiatives and other digital technologies to upgrade multiple circuit cards and other hardware in the guidance section of the missile and to re-host legacy software in the AIM-120D3 and AIM-120C8 AMRAAM missiles, the release added.

These variants combine System Improvement Program F3 software updates with F3R hardware, providing tremendous capability against advanced threats, according to the release.