Raytheon Company,
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE: Raytheon Company's AIM-120C7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile entered the U.S. Navy's Weapon System User Program. During a landmark mission, two U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet strike-fighter aircraft fired two Raytheon-built air-to-air missiles — an AIM-120C7 and an AIM-9X.
This was the first time the AIM-120C7 and AIM-9X have been launched by a fleet-assigned operational Super Hornet and the first time the U.S. Navy employed both missiles during the same mission.
“Firing the AIM-9X during the same tactical mission as the AIM-120C7 proves that our warfighters will be able to maintain their critical advantage in both the beyond-visual-range and within-visual-range fight,” said Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, the U.S. Navy's Air-to-Air Missile program manager.
The WSUP firings were a joint effort with the Air Force's Weapon System Evaluation Program and proved the AIM-120C7 can operate in a joint environment. The WSUP firing also demonstrated the maturity of the AIM-120C7.
Both Super Hornet pilots were “very impressed with the new capabilities the AIM-120C7 and AIM-9X,” said Lt. Col Terry Scott, mission commander and commander of the U.S. Air Force's 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron.
The missiles were fired by aircraft assigned to the U.S. Navy's VFA-143 squadron and were launched against a BQM-167A target drone during a joint mission with U.S. Air Force F-15Cs from Eglin Air Force Base's 60th Fighter Squadron. All missiles guided within lethal range of the target and were assessed as 100 percent successful.
“Raytheon makes a commitment to the warfighter that every missile that leaves the factory will work as advertised,” said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile System's Air Warfare Systems' product line. “We're pleased the warfighter demonstrated the missiles' reliability and capability in a realistic combat training environment.”
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 headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.
Background Information
The 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 AIM-120 AMRAAM family of missiles has been in production for more than 20 years and is operational with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, as well as with 33 international customers. In excess of 16,000 AMRAAMs have been produced, and the missile is responsible for nine successful combat intercepts.
