Pentagon awards RTX $20.7 bln contract for AMRAAM missile production

Sept. 28, 2025 — The Pentagon announced a contract potentially worth $20.7 billion for RTX to produce Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) for U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft, as well as for ground-based interceptors.

The award, dated Sept. 25, covers a five-year base period with two optional years and is intended to ramp up production of the munition for both air-to-air combat and missile defense roles.

Dual-Role Capability

The Pentagon release highlighted the AIM-120 AMRAAM's two primary functions:

• A "proven air-to-air capability"
• A "critical air defense capability for U.S. and allied forces"

In its own statement, RTX said the funding would "accelerate production of AMRAAM missiles to record-setting levels," though it did not specify quantities.

Production Targets

RTX's Raytheon division previously announced in February that it had reached "framework" agreements to boost annual AMRAAM production to at least 1,900 missiles per year. The agreements also cover increased production of other Raytheon products, including:

• Tomahawk
• SM-3 Block IB
• SM-3 Block IIA
• SM-6

It remains unclear whether the $20.7 billion contract funds the framework agreement or represents a separate deal. Neither the Pentagon nor RTX immediately responded to requests for comment.

The Air Force's fiscal 2026 spending plan included $680 million for 423 AMRAAMs, split between regular appropriations and reconciliation funding.

Platforms and Variants

According to RTX, the AIM-120 is a radar-guided, supersonic missile used by 11 operational platforms across 40 nations, including:

• F-15 Eagle / F-15E Strike Eagle / F-15EX Eagle II
• F-16 Fighting Falcon
• F/A-18 Hornet & F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
• F-22A Raptor
• F-35 Lightning II
• AV-8B Harrier II
• Eurofighter Typhoon
• JAS 39 Gripen
• FA-50 / T-50 Golden Eagle
• NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System)
• SL-AMRAAM / CLAWS Ground Launchers

The missile has three variants:

| Variant | Key Features | |---------|--------------| | B model | Reprogrammable aspects not on initial AMRAAM | | C model | Smaller control surfaces for F-22/F-35 carriage; high-angle off-boresight launch capability | | D model | GPS-assisted guidance, improved range, updated data links, jam resistance |

The latest version, featuring System Improvement Program (SIP) update III, was fielded in March 2024. The Pentagon plans SIP IV and SIP V upgrades, which will increase computing power to four times current levels and expand the engagement envelope.

Complementary Programs

The U.S. Air Force plans to use the AMRAAM alongside the still-under-development AIM-260 Joint Air Tactical Missile (JATM) . On Sept. 17, Lockheed Martin announced a separate multiyear agreement to expand JATM production.

The Air Force also faces operational availability issues with another air-to-air missile, the AIM-9X Sidewinder, as recently reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Missile Comparison

| Missile | Length | Range | Guidance | Role | |---------|--------|-------|----------|------| | AIM-120 AMRAAM | 12.7 ft | 100+ miles | Active radar, mid-course updates | Beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget | | AIM-9X Sidewinder | 9.8 ft | Up to 22 miles | Imaging infrared focal plane array | Within-visual-range, dogfighting |

Broader Munitions Push

The Trump administration has emphasized increasing munitions stockpiles across all categories, from interceptors to air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.

Separately, the Air Force is ramping up production under its Family of Affordable Mass Missiles program. In July, Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone Five Technologies were named as builders of thousands of cruise missiles for air-to-ground engagements. The companies are expected to produce:

• Up to 5,300 missiles annually starting in 2028
• Nearly 8,000 missiles per year by 2032

NASAMS and International Use

Beyond air-to-air combat, the AMRAAM is a key component of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) , a midrange air defense system jointly built by Raytheon and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace.

NASAMS reached operational capability in 1994 and was first deployed by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, according to a 2022 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. The system can engage 72 targets in both active and passive modes, using three launchers each carrying six missiles. It employs:

• AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel Radar
• Fire Distribution Center
• AMRAAM missiles (approximately 25-mile range)

Ukraine

• 2022: President Joe Biden announced an $820 million aid package including funding for two NASAMS
• Later 2022: Six additional systems committed
• 2023: A finalized $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to build 12 NASAMS for Ukraine
• 2023: State Department approved an FMS sale of one additional NASAMS for $285 million

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukraine operates more than 10 NASAMS.

Japan Co-Production

In 2024, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that Japan would begin co-producing AMRAAMs. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is the missile manufacturer under a license agreement. However, as of April 2026, the company was still in discussions "regarding the scope of Japan's participation in the AIM-120 AMRAAM" program. Separately, Japan signed a deal in 2023 to acquire 120 AMRAAMs for its own stockpile.

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