Air Force Considers AIM-120E Upgrade in Light of Persistent Needs for Aerial Combat
4 April 2025 路 Uncategorized 路
Source: 路 https://technews.tw/2025/04/04/usaf-might-start-developing-aim-120e/
Recently, the U.S. Air Force announced a sole-source contract awarded to Raytheon for developing an advanced version of the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), aimed at enhancing its performance as one of America's primary air defense missiles.
Although both the U.S. Navy and Air Force have developed longer-range alternatives such as AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missiles (JATM) and an aerial-launched version of Standard Six, currently in service are still the AIM-120 AMRAAMs with high production volumes for a long time.
The AIM-120 was initially developed by Hughes Aircraft Company and entered into service in 1991 to replace the AIM-7 Sparrow. After Raytheon acquired Hughes in 1997, it took over responsibility for manufacturing subsequent upgrade versions of this missile.
The latest version currently available is the AIM-120D-3 which maintains a range up to 180 kilometers while incorporating two-way data link transmission capabilities and third-party cooperative targeting functions. It also features more advanced seekers and flight software.
Given that China has developed the PL-15 air-to-air missile with an extended reach of over 300 km, along with newer models like PL-17 and PL-21 under development, there is a pressing need for U.S. forces to develop AIM-260 as well as aerial-launched versions of Standard Six missiles.
However, the US Congress in December 2024 requested that the military evaluate whether improved variants of AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 series could serve adequately during large-scale conflicts. This has led to speculation about a potential development project for an updated version known as AIM-120E.
Recently, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) announced a sole-source contract with Raytheon worth $95 million named 'Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile Risk Reduction' (AMRAAM RRR).
When asked by The War Zone if this contract was related to AIM-120E, the U.S. Air Force stated that they could not disclose any information at present but noted Congress had requested an assessment of improved versions of AIM-9X and AIM-120D for procurement quantity reference against JATM and aerial-launched Standard Six.
Furthermore, this contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process which suggests it is likely to be part of the upgrade or maintenance plan rather than a new design requiring multiple vendors. This leads many experts to believe that it could indeed relate to preliminary work on AIM-120E.
(Lead image source: TSGT KEVIN J. GRUENWALD, USAF, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Although both the U.S. Navy and Air Force have developed longer-range alternatives such as AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missiles (JATM) and an aerial-launched version of Standard Six, currently in service are still the AIM-120 AMRAAMs with high production volumes for a long time.
The AIM-120 was initially developed by Hughes Aircraft Company and entered into service in 1991 to replace the AIM-7 Sparrow. After Raytheon acquired Hughes in 1997, it took over responsibility for manufacturing subsequent upgrade versions of this missile.
The latest version currently available is the AIM-120D-3 which maintains a range up to 180 kilometers while incorporating two-way data link transmission capabilities and third-party cooperative targeting functions. It also features more advanced seekers and flight software.
Given that China has developed the PL-15 air-to-air missile with an extended reach of over 300 km, along with newer models like PL-17 and PL-21 under development, there is a pressing need for U.S. forces to develop AIM-260 as well as aerial-launched versions of Standard Six missiles.
However, the US Congress in December 2024 requested that the military evaluate whether improved variants of AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 series could serve adequately during large-scale conflicts. This has led to speculation about a potential development project for an updated version known as AIM-120E.
Recently, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) announced a sole-source contract with Raytheon worth $95 million named 'Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile Risk Reduction' (AMRAAM RRR).
When asked by The War Zone if this contract was related to AIM-120E, the U.S. Air Force stated that they could not disclose any information at present but noted Congress had requested an assessment of improved versions of AIM-9X and AIM-120D for procurement quantity reference against JATM and aerial-launched Standard Six.
Furthermore, this contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process which suggests it is likely to be part of the upgrade or maintenance plan rather than a new design requiring multiple vendors. This leads many experts to believe that it could indeed relate to preliminary work on AIM-120E.
(Lead image source: TSGT KEVIN J. GRUENWALD, USAF, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)