Air Force, Navy give missile contracts

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MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. military has awarded contracts to the Harris Corp. and Raytheon for air-to-air missiles and their components.

Additional telemetry modules for the U.S. Air Force's AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles are to be produced by Harris.

Harris said the follow-on contract received for Warhead Replacement Tactical Telemetry Modules is a multiyear award worth $11 million and brings the total of modules produced since 1991 to a value of $181 million.

"The proven performance, reliability and availability of Harris telemetry modules are key contributors to the long-standing success of the Air Force's Weapon System Evaluation program," said Sheldon Fox, group president, Harris Government Communications Systems.

"The Air Force continues to recognize our delivery performance as WRTTM plays an important role in weapons evaluations and other warfighter initiatives."

Telemetry modules provide missile data and command-destruct capability for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, which is deployed on F-15, F-16 and F-22 fighters.

Raytheon reports that the U.S. Navy has contracted it to produce and deliver an undisclosed number of AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missiles.

The contract, a modification to an earlier award, is worth $39.6 million.

The AIM-9X is a heat-seeking weapon featuring infrared guidance. It was introduced into service in 1956 by Raytheon and has undergone upgrades since.

The AIM-9X Block II has a redesigned fuse and upgraded electronics. It is nearly 10 feet in length, weighs less than 200 pounds and flies at about 1,900 mph.

The Sidewinder is deployed on the F/A-18 Hornet, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon.