Pentagon signs contract to produce AMRAAM missiles for Ukraine and allies
The US Department of Defense announced the signing of a $3.5 billion contract with Raytheon Technologies for the production of AMRAAM missiles and related equipment, which will be transferred to Ukraine and allied countries.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in a Pentagon report.
It is noted that this includes deliveries to Ukraine, as well as 18 countries: Denmark, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Israel, and Kuwait.
The contract covers the production of missiles, telemetry systems, spare parts, and engineering support. Work will be carried out in Tucson, Arizona, until the third quarter of fiscal year 2031.
What is known about AMRAAM missiles?
AIM-120 AMRAAM is an American all-weather medium-range air-to-air guided missile. The missile body is divided into three sections: the nose, the warhead, and the tail. The body is coated with a special gray paint that can withstand significant kinetic heating.
The cost of a single missile varies from $1.2 million to $1.97 million, depending on the modification.
AMRAAM missiles are the primary air-to-air weapon of all types of modern fighter jets in the US Armed Forces, including the Harrier II, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, and F-22. In addition, one of the modifications of these missiles is used by NASAMS air defense systems. In this case, AMRAAM missiles are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 20-25 km, and in the case of AMRAAM ER (Extended Range) missiles, at a range of up to 40 km.
In addition, the system can attack airborne targets at a distance of over 100 km, with a probability of hitting the target reaching 85%.
