The Netherlands buy AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile.

The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Netherlands of 16 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $39 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale.

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An F-35 Lightning II launches an AIM-120 AMRAAM over a military test range off the California coast. The AMRAAM was fired from an F-35A (AF-6) operating from the F-35 Integrated Test Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Picture source: Wikimedia/USAF/Paul Weatherman)

Also included are containers, weapon systems support and support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, logistics, and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $39 million. The principal contractor will be Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Tucson, AZ. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the Netherlands.

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with a 7-inch (180mm) diameter form-and-fit factor, and employing active transmit-receive radar guidance instead of semi-active receive-only radar guidance, it has the advantage of being a fire-and-forget weapon when compared to the previous generation Sparrow missiles. When an AMRAAM missile is launched, NATO pilots use the brevity code Fox Three. The AMRAAM is the world's most popular beyond-visual-range missile, and more than 14,000 have been produced for the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and 33 foreign customers. The AMRAAM has been used in several engagements and is credited with ten air-to-air kills. Now over 30 years old in design, the AMRAAM is due to be replaced by the new AIM-260 JATM, which will offer better long-range performance and ability to defeat electronic warfare jamming.