AIM-120 AMRAAM

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	Weapon: AIM-120 AMRAAM Type: Air-to-Air Missile Country of Origin: United States Year Adopted: 1991 Overall Length (mm): 3650.0 Overall Length (in): 143.7 Weight (kg): 161.00 Weight (pounds): 354.94

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) was developed in the late Cold War as a successor to the AIM-7 Sparrow, designed to give Western air forces a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile with fire-and-forget capability. Developed jointly by the United States Air Force and Navy with Raytheon as the prime contractor, the missile introduced active radar homing, allowing the launch aircraft to disengage or attack additional targets after firing. The AMRAAM's modular design has supported multiple upgrades over time, including improved guidance, warhead, and propulsion systems.

Since entering service in 1991, the AIM-120 has been produced in large numbers, with well over 20,000 units built and exported widely to allied nations under NATO and beyond. It has equipped nearly every modern U.S. and allied fighter aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen, and the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. The missile's adaptability and continuous upgrades (such as the AIM-120C and AIM-120D variants) have ensured its relevance in modern air combat environments, keeping pace with evolving threats.

The AMRAAM has seen extensive combat use, beginning with its first kill in 1992 during a U.S. Air Force engagement over Iraq, and has since proven itself in conflicts across the Middle East, the Balkans, and beyond. Its reputation as a reliable, effective BVR weapon has earned it the nickname "Slammer" among pilots. Today, it remains the backbone of Western air-to-air missile arsenals and serves as both a symbol of Cold War-era innovation and a continually evolving system central to modern air superiority doctrines.

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