The US Air Force has awarded newly-rebranded RTX a contract for AIM-120 D-3 and C-8 AMRAAM missiles worth $1.15 billion, marking the largest AMRAAM missile contract to date.
This contract marks the fifth production lot of the technologically advanced missiles, which have been developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) initiative.
F3R brings updates to the missile’s hardware and enables Agile software upgrades, further enhancing its capabilities, stated the company.
The contract not only supplies missiles to the US Air Force and US Navy but also extends its production line to 18 countries, including Ukraine, by providing AMRAAM all-up-rounds and spares.
“We recognize AMRAAM is the most advanced, combat-proven missile, and we owe it to the warfighters to ensure they have the technology they need when they need it,” said Paul Ferraro, president of Air Power for Raytheon. “Be it air-to-air or surface-to-air, AMRAAM continues its proud legacy with greater power and precision than ever before with this contract.”
Within the framework of the F3R program, engineers employed model-based systems engineering initiatives and various digital technologies to enhance the guidance section of the missile.
This involved upgrading multiple circuit cards and other hardware components while re-hosting legacy software in the AIM-120 D-3 and AIM-120 C-8 AMRAAMs, stated RTX in the announcement.
