RTX’s Raytheon awarded $736 million contract to produce Block II AIM-9X missiles
On 10 October 2024 Raytheon, an RTX business, announced that it had been awarded a US $736 million contract from the US Navy to produce Block II AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air…
October 16, 2024
On 10 October 2024 Raytheon, an RTX business, announced that it had been awarded a US $736 million contract from the US Navy to produce Block II AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Work under this contract will take place in various locations within the continental US through 2029.
A US Navy-led joint program with the US Air Force, AIM-9X is used by over 30 allied and partner nations and continues to gain international customers, the latest (in March 2024) being the Czech Republic when it signed a letter of agreement for procurement of the missile for use on Czech F-35A aircraft.
The AIM-9X is proven across air-to-air and ground-launch domains, and the new and improved Block II variant addresses hardware obsolescence and brings superior performance and long-term reliability.
Raytheon claim that the AIM-9X is the most advanced infrared-tracking, short-range, air-to-air and surface-to-air missile in the world – a claim that might be contested by the manufacturers of the ASRAAM/CAMM family, though there can be no doubt that -9X is a highly capable weapon! AIM-9X is configured for easy installation on a wide range of modern aircraft and provides proven layered defense with ground-launched capabilities, including NASAMS, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. The new Block II version has The improved Block II includes a redesigned fuze and a digital ignition safety device to improve safety, while the weapon introduces a lock-on-after-launch capability using a new datalink to support beyond-visual-range engagements.
Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon said that: “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. We’re investing, innovating, and partnering with our US Navy customer to significantly increase our AIM-9X production capacity starting with orders next year.”
During the Farnborough Air Show in July 2024, Raytheon said that it was aiming to increase production capacity from 1,400 missiles per year to up to 2,500 missiles.
