RTX Raytheon wins $736 million contract to make AIM-9X missiles
RTX business Raytheon has won a US$736 million contract from the US Navy to produce AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for the Block II variant. The contract will work to address hardware outmodedness and ensure long-term reliability and performance of the missiles, Raytheon said.
A short-range air-to-air missile (AAM), the AIM-9X Block I Sidewinder is widely used on US and allied fighter aircraft and can also be mounted on helicopters. A US Navy-led programme with the US Air Force, AIM-9X are used by more than 30 allied and partner nations, according to Raytheon.
“AIM-9X remains the weapon of choice for short-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile defense, and worldwide customer demand is strong,” said Barbara Borgonovi, president of naval power at Raytheon.
Borgonovi also noted that Raytheon planned to “significantly increase” its AIM-9X capacity “starting with orders next year”.
The AIM-9X has been sold to a number of different countries in the last year that include Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic – the latter signing a letter of agreement in March 2024 for use of the missile on its F-35 aircraft.
Speaking at Farnborough Air Show in July 2024, Raytheon noted that it was focused on increasing production capacity from 1,400 missiles a year to up to 2,500 in the short term.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
General Atomics’ MQ-9B passes full-scale second lifetime fatigue test
The MQ-9B is General Atomics' most advanced remotely piloted aircraft. The fatigue test was the second of three lifetimes of testing for the aircraft, the equivalent of 80,000 hours.
-
AUSA 2024: Leonardo unveils BriteStorm stand-in jammer payload
Leonardo’s BriteStorm payload has been designed to be flown forward of aircraft to deceive ground forces.
-
‘Never done before’: tiltrotor technology and the future battlespace
In conversation... Bell's Frank Lazzara talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the potential of tiltrotor designs to revolutionize U.S. Army maneuver operations, and how the technology could transform other mission sets across DoD and international armed services.
-
Italy looks to advance development of airborne electronic warfare initiatives
Italy’s ELT Group involvement in airborne electronic warfare initiatives, including developing systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon and future sixth-generation combat aircraft, has been focused on integrated sensing, non-kinetic effects and communications.
-
AUSA 2024: UVision USA unveils multi-launch munition system
UVision’s Hero-120 is one of a family of loitering munitions developed by the company. The Hero 120 has been ordered in the thousands for US forces including to meet the USMC’s Organic Precision Fire Mounted requirement.