Breaking news
US Navy Awards Raytheon Contract for Production of AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II Missiles.
| 2016
 Sailors assigned to the Jolly Rogers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103 transport a AIM-9X Sidewinder air intercept missile (AIM) on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Dwight D. Eisenhower is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Andrew Schneider/Released) |
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Upgraded
from the Block (Blk) I series, the AIM-9X Blk II missile incorporates
new software, an upgraded guidance control unit and a longer battery life.
The new technology improves probability of kill, increases launch range
and enhances the target detector functionality. A key characteristic is
its rapid response capability in air combat scenarios. The most significant change incorporated into the Blk II series is the “lock on after launch” capability. Rather than requiring the warfighter to actually see the target to lock the missile on, the warfighter can launch at the target without knowing its exact position. Once the missile is launched from the aircraft, the seeker - a sensor inside the missile - locates the target either via infrared emissions or via datalink and proceeds to execute its mission. The air-intercept missile is 119 inches in length, weighs 186.2 pounds and is capable of being launched from the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, the Air Force’s F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon and various international partner aircraft equivalents. Its purpose is to detect, acquire, intercept and destroy a wide range of high-performance airborne and surface threats. About AIM-9X AIM-9X is a U.S. Navy-led, joint Navy and U.S. Air Force program, with program offices in Patuxent River, Maryland, and Tucson, Arizona. Raytheon has been producing AIM-9X missiles for more than 14 years. AIM-9X entered operational service in 2003; international deliveries began in 2005. AIM-9X Block II, which adds a datalink capability, successfully completed operational testing and began full-rate production in 2015. The U.S. Navy declared initial operational capability with the Block II in March 2015. The Block II will also be the baseline effector for the U.S. Army Indirect Fires Protection Capability, Increment 2- Intercept, making AIM-9X a true dual-use missile, effective in either air-to-air or surface-to-air applications without the need for modifications to the missile. AIM-9X currently has 21 international customers. This includes nine original Block I customers, followed by 12 new and six repeat Block II customers. Block II deliveries to international customers will begin in 2016. AIM-9X reliability for the currently fielded system has exceeded three times the required mean time between failures. |
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