Raytheon Delivers 3,000th AIM-9X to Warfighter

TUCSON: Raytheon Company has achieved a significant production milestone with the delivery of the 3,000th AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile.

"The 3,000th delivery is yet another measure that the AIM-9X is a mature system warfighters know they can rely on," said Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, the U.S. Navy's air-to-air missile program manager. "Achieving this milestone means American and allied aviators are fully equipped to continue their critical advantage in the within-visual-range fight."

The AIM-9X is an infrared-guided air-to-air missile. It offers the warfighter unmatched maneuverability, off-boresight capability, and speed.

"Every delivery is made possible thanks to the hard work of our U.S. Navy partner, our eight international customers, our employees and our suppliers," said Dave Adams, Raytheon's AIM-9 program director. "Everyone pulls together to ensure the men and women going in harm's way have the most capable within-visual-range missile in the world."

Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 86 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

Background Information
AIM-9X is a launch-and-leave air combat missile that uses passive infrared energy for acquisition and tracking. It can be employed in the near beyond-visual-range and within-visual-range arenas. The weapon has extremely high off-boresight capability, which gives a pilot first-shot, first-kill dominance. It provides enhanced acquisition ranges in blue sky and clutter.

The missile's IR countermeasures deliver the capacity to resist ever-changing threats. The AIM-9X has a highly agile airframe; its fifth-generation seeker and thrust vectoring control provide unprecedented performance.

The AIM-9X has been fired more than 137 times in the past eight years by the developmental and operational test communities of the U.S. Navy and Air Force. It entered the U.S. Navy's Weapons System User program in late 2007.