State Department approves $862.3M sale of Sidewinder missiles to Canada

June 16 (UPI) -- The State Department announced Tuesday that it had approved a possible $862.3 million sale of 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles and related equipment to the Canadian government.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the military capability of Canada, a NATO ally that is an important force for ensuring political stability and economic progress and a contributor to military, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations around the world," said DSCA's statement.

According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the government of Canada requested 50) Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles; 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missiles, 10 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Special Air Training Missiles and assorted related equipment, as well as technical and logistics support, upgrades to the Advanced Distributed Combat Training System to ensure flight trainers remain current with the new technologies and software development.

The prime contractors on this deal will be Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing and Collins Aerospace.

In April 2019 Raytheon was awarded a $12.1 million contract for AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for the United States and 21 allies.

The AIM-9X Sidewinder missile includes advanced infrared-tracking, short-range, air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, and the Block II variant has a redesigned fuse and a digital ignition safety device to enhance ground handling and in-flight safety.