Raytheon tapped for AMRAAM missile support

Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Raytheon Missiles Systems has received a $13.1 million modification to an existing contract for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile technical support.

The contract, announced Monday by the Department of Defense, will provide technical support for the AMRAAM weapon system. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by September 2020.

The modification brings the total value of the contract to $35 million, with no funds being obligated at the time of award.

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile is the standard radar-guided missile used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as by nations across the world. It is a "fire-and-forget" weapon that uses an active radar seeker head to track and destroy aircraft.

The munition is the replacement for the older AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided missile in the U.S. and most allied militaries. Some versions of the missile have ranges of over a 100 miles and are referred to by some in U.S. fighter pilots as the 'Slammer.'

AMRAAMs have been used in combat and downed several enemy aircraft going back to the first Gulf War.