US opens path for Pakistan’s F-16 upgrades with new AMRAAM missile contract
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Pakistan was included in a new $41.7 million Raytheon contract to continue AMRAAM missile production through 2030, signaling a potential renewed U.S.-Pakistan defense engagement under a broader Foreign Military Sales program.
On October 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense (now Department of War) announced that Raytheon, based in Tucson, Arizona, received a $41.7 million contract modification to extend production of AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) through May 2030. Notably, Pakistan was listed among more than 30 allied nations included in the Foreign Military Sales framework, marking a potential renewal of limited defense cooperation between Washington and Islamabad.
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The inclusion of Pakistan indicates a potential reactivation of advanced beyond-visual-range capability within the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which previously operated AIM-120C-5 missiles with its F-16C/D Block 52 fleet. (Picture source: US Air Force)
According to the screengrab, Raytheon received a $41,681,329 firm-fixed-price modification (P00026) to contract FA8675-23-C-0037 for continued production of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) in the C-8 and D-3 variants. The modification increases the total cumulative face value of the contract to $2,512,389,558, with all work scheduled for completion by May 30, 2030. The announcement specified that this modification is part of a broader Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program that includes over thirty countries, such as Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, South Korea, and Greece.
Other countries named in this contract include Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey. The total funding obligated at the time of award comprises $7,603,828 in fiscal 2025 Navy weapons procurement funds, $10,742,268 in fiscal 2025 Air Force operation and maintenance funds, and $9,164,126 in FMS funds. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Weapons Superiority contracting branch at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, oversees the contract. The modification supports extended production continuity and delivery of current-generation AMRAAM variants to U.S. and allied forces.
This contract modification forms part of the continuing AMRAAM production and sustainment effort that has progressively integrated the most recent electronic, guidance, and software updates into a standardized configuration for both domestic and foreign customers. In addition to this modification, the U.S. Air Force awarded RTX (Raytheon Technologies) an $11.2 million contract to modernize guidance section processors and insert fifteen new circuit cards to address obsolescence across the C-8 and D-3 models. Another $13.86 million contract, awarded in May 2025, supported procurement of critical components and sustained production for FMS deliveries to twenty-one countries, ensuring consistency in hardware standards. Manufacturing for these efforts remains based in Tucson, Arizona, maintaining logistical continuity and support for future electronic refresh cycles through 2030.
The AIM-120 AMRAAM series remains the principal medium-range radar-guided air-to-air weapon for U.S. and allied air forces. Developed as a successor to the AIM-7 Sparrow, AMRAAM introduced an active radar seeker enabling fire-and-forget capability, reducing pilot workload during multi-target engagements. The missile’s standard dimensions, 3.65 meters in length, 178 millimeters in diameter, and a weight of approximately 161 kilograms, have been retained throughout successive models. Propulsion is provided by a solid-fuel rocket motor that allows speeds up to Mach 4, while the guidance system combines inertial navigation, midcourse data link corrections, and terminal active radar homing. The missile carries a 20-kilogram blast-fragmentation warhead triggered by proximity or impact fuzes, and it is compatible with most modern combat aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, and F-35.
Over its operational history since 1991, AMRAAM has been employed in multiple conflicts, with engagements recorded in the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Syria, and the 2019 Jammu and Kashmir airstrikes. Production of AMRAAMs has surpassed 14,000 units, and now includes the AIM-120C-8 as its latest export-approved configuration and incorporates the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) modernization package. The refresh replaces obsolete components with fifteen new circuit cards and a next-generation processor, rehosting the missile’s legacy software onto modern digital architecture. The F3R effort maintains the missile’s aerodynamic form, ensuring compatibility with existing aircraft launch systems, while upgrading its internal computational capacity to improve resistance to electronic countermeasures and support incremental software updates throughout its life cycle.
The AIM-120C-8 maintains the same external dimensions as previous C-series variants, while enhancing flexibility for midcourse data link integration and target update responsiveness. Its effective range exceeds 90 kilometers, depending on launch altitude and speed. The missile remains equipped with a solid-propellant rocket motor and retains the standard AMRAAM warhead design and dual fuze system. The C-8 serves as the baseline export model and is being adopted by several allied air forces, enabling unified logistics, maintenance, and mission planning across diverse fleets.
The AIM-120D-3, reserved for U.S. forces, shares the same F3R electronics baseline but includes advanced data link and navigation capabilities unique to the D-series. It maintains the two-way data link that allows midcourse target updates and integration with aircraft sensors and command networks, as well as GPS-aided inertial navigation for improved trajectory control and accuracy. The D-3’s range is generally cited as exceeding 160 kilometers under favorable launch conditions. Enhanced processor performance supports continuous software adaptation, allowing the missile to receive iterative capability insertions during service without structural modification.
In tests conducted in late 2024, updated AMRAAM software demonstrated extended engagement envelopes without affecting flight handling or requiring pilot retraining. The D-3 integrates with fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35, supporting cooperative engagement capabilities and forming part of networked air defense ecosystems. The modernization also ensures interoperability between U.S. and allied systems by maintaining identical hardware interfaces with the export-oriented C-8 model.
For Pakistan, the C-8’s updated guidance section and enhanced electronic counter-countermeasure resilience would represent a step forward from existing systems while maintaining compatibility with existing launch rails and mission software. The Pakistan Air Force, with a fighter inventory composed of F-16A/B, F-16C/D, JF-17A/B/C, and J-10C, would gain from the C-8’s interoperability with its F-16s, particularly in scenarios requiring network-linked targeting or operations under electronic interference. Pakistan last confirmed operational use of AMRAAM during the February 2019 engagement over Jammu and Kashmir. The present development may reflect renewed engagement between U.S. and Pakistani defense authorities, allowing Pakistan’s participation in the shared AMRAAM production framework while enabling Pakistan to retain access to modern missiles for its F-16 fleet under existing agreements.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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Pakistan was included in a new $41.7 million Raytheon contract to continue AMRAAM missile production through 2030, signaling a potential renewed U.S.-Pakistan defense engagement under a broader Foreign Military Sales program.
On October 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense (now Department of War) announced that Raytheon, based in Tucson, Arizona, received a $41.7 million contract modification to extend production of AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) through May 2030. Notably, Pakistan was listed among more than 30 allied nations included in the Foreign Military Sales framework, marking a potential renewal of limited defense cooperation between Washington and Islamabad.
The inclusion of Pakistan indicates a potential reactivation of advanced beyond-visual-range capability within the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which previously operated AIM-120C-5 missiles with its F-16C/D Block 52 fleet. (Picture source: US Air Force)
According to the screengrab, Raytheon received a $41,681,329 firm-fixed-price modification (P00026) to contract FA8675-23-C-0037 for continued production of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) in the C-8 and D-3 variants. The modification increases the total cumulative face value of the contract to $2,512,389,558, with all work scheduled for completion by May 30, 2030. The announcement specified that this modification is part of a broader Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program that includes over thirty countries, such as Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, South Korea, and Greece.
Other countries named in this contract include Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey. The total funding obligated at the time of award comprises $7,603,828 in fiscal 2025 Navy weapons procurement funds, $10,742,268 in fiscal 2025 Air Force operation and maintenance funds, and $9,164,126 in FMS funds. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Weapons Superiority contracting branch at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, oversees the contract. The modification supports extended production continuity and delivery of current-generation AMRAAM variants to U.S. and allied forces.
This contract modification forms part of the continuing AMRAAM production and sustainment effort that has progressively integrated the most recent electronic, guidance, and software updates into a standardized configuration for both domestic and foreign customers. In addition to this modification, the U.S. Air Force awarded RTX (Raytheon Technologies) an $11.2 million contract to modernize guidance section processors and insert fifteen new circuit cards to address obsolescence across the C-8 and D-3 models. Another $13.86 million contract, awarded in May 2025, supported procurement of critical components and sustained production for FMS deliveries to twenty-one countries, ensuring consistency in hardware standards. Manufacturing for these efforts remains based in Tucson, Arizona, maintaining logistical continuity and support for future electronic refresh cycles through 2030.
The AIM-120 AMRAAM series remains the principal medium-range radar-guided air-to-air weapon for U.S. and allied air forces. Developed as a successor to the AIM-7 Sparrow, AMRAAM introduced an active radar seeker enabling fire-and-forget capability, reducing pilot workload during multi-target engagements. The missile’s standard dimensions, 3.65 meters in length, 178 millimeters in diameter, and a weight of approximately 161 kilograms, have been retained throughout successive models. Propulsion is provided by a solid-fuel rocket motor that allows speeds up to Mach 4, while the guidance system combines inertial navigation, midcourse data link corrections, and terminal active radar homing. The missile carries a 20-kilogram blast-fragmentation warhead triggered by proximity or impact fuzes, and it is compatible with most modern combat aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, and F-35.
Over its operational history since 1991, AMRAAM has been employed in multiple conflicts, with engagements recorded in the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Syria, and the 2019 Jammu and Kashmir airstrikes. Production of AMRAAMs has surpassed 14,000 units, and now includes the AIM-120C-8 as its latest export-approved configuration and incorporates the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) modernization package. The refresh replaces obsolete components with fifteen new circuit cards and a next-generation processor, rehosting the missile’s legacy software onto modern digital architecture. The F3R effort maintains the missile’s aerodynamic form, ensuring compatibility with existing aircraft launch systems, while upgrading its internal computational capacity to improve resistance to electronic countermeasures and support incremental software updates throughout its life cycle.
The AIM-120C-8 maintains the same external dimensions as previous C-series variants, while enhancing flexibility for midcourse data link integration and target update responsiveness. Its effective range exceeds 90 kilometers, depending on launch altitude and speed. The missile remains equipped with a solid-propellant rocket motor and retains the standard AMRAAM warhead design and dual fuze system. The C-8 serves as the baseline export model and is being adopted by several allied air forces, enabling unified logistics, maintenance, and mission planning across diverse fleets.
The AIM-120D-3, reserved for U.S. forces, shares the same F3R electronics baseline but includes advanced data link and navigation capabilities unique to the D-series. It maintains the two-way data link that allows midcourse target updates and integration with aircraft sensors and command networks, as well as GPS-aided inertial navigation for improved trajectory control and accuracy. The D-3’s range is generally cited as exceeding 160 kilometers under favorable launch conditions. Enhanced processor performance supports continuous software adaptation, allowing the missile to receive iterative capability insertions during service without structural modification.
In tests conducted in late 2024, updated AMRAAM software demonstrated extended engagement envelopes without affecting flight handling or requiring pilot retraining. The D-3 integrates with fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35, supporting cooperative engagement capabilities and forming part of networked air defense ecosystems. The modernization also ensures interoperability between U.S. and allied systems by maintaining identical hardware interfaces with the export-oriented C-8 model.
For Pakistan, the C-8’s updated guidance section and enhanced electronic counter-countermeasure resilience would represent a step forward from existing systems while maintaining compatibility with existing launch rails and mission software. The Pakistan Air Force, with a fighter inventory composed of F-16A/B, F-16C/D, JF-17A/B/C, and J-10C, would gain from the C-8’s interoperability with its F-16s, particularly in scenarios requiring network-linked targeting or operations under electronic interference. Pakistan last confirmed operational use of AMRAAM during the February 2019 engagement over Jammu and Kashmir. The present development may reflect renewed engagement between U.S. and Pakistani defense authorities, allowing Pakistan’s participation in the shared AMRAAM production framework while enabling Pakistan to retain access to modern missiles for its F-16 fleet under existing agreements.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
