First firing test of the Raytheon AIM-120C-8 missile, AMRAAM’s most advanced export variant

The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon successfully completed the first firing flight test of the AIM-120C-8, the latest international variant of the AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile developed under the Form, Fit, Function (F3R) upgrade.

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The AIM-120C-8 was fired from an F-15C Eagle and shot down the aerial target, meeting all primary flight test objectives.

«AMRAAM is a combat-proven missile trusted by more than 40 international partners for both air-to-air and surface-to-air missions,» said Paul Ferraro, president of Air Power at Raytheon, an RTX business. «With the advancements from F3R, which updates both the missile’s hardware and allows for future Agile software upgrades, we are maximizing the capabilities of this munition for allies around the world.»»

Under the F3R program, engineers used model-based systems engineering initiatives and other digital technologies to upgrade multiple circuit cards and advanced processors in the guidance section of the missile and to re-host legacy software in the AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAMs.

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This AIM-120C-8 flight test follows the completion of flight testing of the AIM-120D-3. Flight testing on the AIM-120D-3 was completed in just 11 months after the initial flight test and concluded with showcasing the success of the missile in a highly contested environment.

Recently, the U.S. Air Force awarded RTX a $1.15 billion AMRAAM contract to produce AIM-120D-3 and C-8 missiles for 19 countries.