The US Air Force’s 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron partnered with the 83d Fighter Weapons Squadron to execute the longest known air-to-air missile shot to date during March 2021.
An F-15C Eagle fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM at a BQM-167 subscale drone, resulting in a “kill” of the aerial target from the furthest distance ever recorded. The test took place out of Tyndall AFB, Fla., in conjunction with WSEP East.
While the service did not reveal the exact distance of the confirmed “kill”, the advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) has a stated range of over 20 miles. It incorporates active radar with an inertial reference unit and micro-computer system, which makes the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft. An extended-range (AMRAAM-ER) version of the missile, which is based on the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, offers a 50 percent increase in range.
“This test effort supported requests from the CAF for “long range kill chain” capabilities,” said Maj. Aaron Osborne, 28th TES. “Key partnerships within the 53rd Wing enabled the expansion of capabilities on a currently fielded weapons system, resulting in warfighters gaining enhanced weapons employment envelopes.”
By partnering with WSEP and the 83d FWS, the 28th TES was able to accomplish this big impact test at a relatively low cost, showcasing innovation and directly supporting the 2018 NDS’s calls for increased lethality and affordability.
This test also exercised existing long-range weapons testing infrastructure and laid the ground work for modernizing range capabilities in support of future long-range weapons testing on the Eglin-Gulf Test and Training Range.
