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Air Force taps Raytheon for AMRAAMs for foreign military sales

The $523 million contract involves sales of the missile systems to Japan, Kuwait, Poland, Indonesia, Qatar, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom.

By James LaPorta
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Schaetzl, 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit lead weapons load team crew chief, removes an AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile from a weapons rack June 23, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Photo by Senior Airman Omari Bernard/U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Schaetzl, 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit lead weapons load team crew chief, removes an AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile from a weapons rack June 23, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Photo by Senior Airman Omari Bernard/U.S. Air Force

March 26 (UPI) -- Raytheon was awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force for advanced medium range air to air missiles, also known as AMRAAMs.

The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $523.1 million under the terms of a fixed-price incentive contract, which is a modification to a previous award.

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The agreement enables Raytheon to to provide AMRAAMs, along with other related system items.

The AMRAAM has profound operational flexibility in a wide variety of combat scenarios, such as air-to-air and ground-to-air engagement.

The weapon system is designed as a "fire and forget" missile, meaning the on board systems on the AMRAAM provides aircrews with a high degree of precision and lethality when launched against a moving targets or fixed target traveling in the air and on the ground.

Work on the contract will occur in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be complete by January 2021. The contract will benefit the countries of Japan, Kuwait, Poland, Indonesia, Qatar, Germany, Australia and United Kingdom under a foreign military sale.

The total amount of the contract will be obligated to Raytheon at time of award from fiscal 2018 production and research and development funds, coupled with additional foreign military sales funds.

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The Pentagon did not say whether or not any of the obligated funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

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