AIM-120 AMRAAM

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile is the primary beyond-visual-range weapon of U.S. and allied fighter aircraft, carried by the F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, F-35, and many foreign platforms. The missile uses inertial guidance with mid-course datalink updates and terminal active radar homing, allowing a shooter to engage multiple targets simultaneously and leave the engagement before missile terminal phase.

The current AIM-120D-3 variant, fielded from 2023 onward, refreshes the electronics on a Raytheon-built open systems architecture and extends range appreciably over earlier D-models. AMRAAM has also been adapted as a surface-launched interceptor in the NASAMS system, which has been extensively employed in Ukraine.

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