Netherlands And U.S. to Co-Produce RTX’s Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile for NATO
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The Netherlands and the United States have launched a joint study to expand production of Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles within Dutch industry. The move aims to strengthen NATO’s defense supply chain and accelerate missile deliveries for F-35 and NASAMS systems.
On November 3, 2025, the Dutch government announced that the United States has approved a feasibility study to explore Dutch industry’s involvement in the production, assembly, and maintenance of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, this marks the first step toward co-producing AMRAAMs with a European NATO partner, a strategic move aimed at easing transatlantic supply chain bottlenecks. This initiative could significantly impact the delivery speed of AMRAAMs for NATO’s F-35 fighter jets and NASAMS ground-based air defense systems, while also reinforcing military support for Ukraine. By relocating parts of the missile supply chain to Europe, NATO stands to gain deeper ammunition reserves and greater capacity to ramp up production when needed.
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The Netherlands will conduct a feasibility study with Raytheon to locally produce American AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, marking the first potential co-production of this beyond-visual-range air-to-air weapon with a European NATO partner (Picture Source: Dutch MoD)
AMRAAM is the backbone beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile of Western air forces, fielded since the early 1990s and continuously upgraded to today’s C-7/C-8 and D/D-3 standards. Its active radar seeker, mid-course datalink and “fire-and-update” employment have made it the default armament on F-35, F-16, F/A-18 and other platforms, and its guidance section also equips NASAMS launchers for medium-range ground-based air defence. Raytheon’s AMRAAM-ER extends the ground-launched engagement envelope with a larger motor, giving NASAMS higher-altitude, longer-range intercepts, an evolution that has proven directly relevant as allies expand layered air defence.
From an operational standpoint, AMRAAM has a long combat pedigree, from early post-Cold War air policing and no-fly-zone missions to recent interceptions of cruise missiles and UAVs. In Ukraine, NASAMS batteries employing AMRAAM have been credited by open sources and officials with high effectiveness against Russian air threats, underscoring the missile’s adaptability from the air-to-air arena to integrated air and missile defence on land. This operational record is central to current demand signals and to the rationale for expanding production sites.
The strategic importance of enabling AMRAAM production in the Netherlands is threefold. First, it hardens NATO’s supply chain by distributing manufacturing, assembly and MRO closer to European users, reducing transatlantic logistics drag and lead-time risk during high-tempo contingencies. Second, it deepens US-European defence industrial integration: the Dutch initiative is explicitly described as a first step in AMRAAM co-production with a European NATO partner, aligning with The Hague’s Defence Strategy for Industry and Innovation while supporting US export backlogs. Third, it directly addresses capacity shortfalls created by simultaneous US recapitalisation, allied rearmament and urgent stocks for Ukraine, turning Europe from a pure demand centre into an additional source of supply for a US-designed missile.
Seen against competing and complementary systems, AMRAAM’s advantage remains integration and scale. Europe’s MBDA Meteor offers formidable kinematics with a ramjet and a larger no-escape zone, but it is not widely integrated on US platforms and ground systems; AMRAAM, by contrast, is already cleared across F-35 partners and NASAMS operators, with mature logistics and training pipelines. The US AIM-260 JATM promises next-generation reach for peer-on-peer air combat, yet it remains in the transition to large-scale fielding; until then, AMRAAM continues as the Alliance’s workhorse for both air and ground launchers. Co-production in the Netherlands therefore complements, rather than displaces, these programs by expanding the missile the Alliance can employ today.
Geopolitically and militarily, a European AMRAAM production node would anchor a transatlantic “two-hemisphere” supply posture. It would shorten replenishment loops for European F-35 users and NASAMS operators, strengthen NATO’s integrated air and missile defence magazines ahead of any prolonged crisis, and send a clear signal of shared industrial risk-taking with the United States. For Washington, Dutch participation distributes surge risk without relinquishing design authority, stabilises deliveries under Foreign Military Sales, and frees US lines to absorb JATM transition and other munitions ramp-ups. For Brussels and allied capitals, it reduces exposure to single-point failures and supports the political objective of a more self-reliant European pillar inside NATO.
As a defence product, AMRAAM’s enduring strengths are its platform ubiquity, software-driven refresh path and the ability to serve dual communities, air forces and ground-based air defenders, within a single seeker and guidance architecture. Against similar missiles, it trades some raw end-game energy for unmatched integration breadth and proven networked employment, factors that often determine what can be fielded at scale in wartime. Co-production in the Netherlands would therefore multiply readiness where it counts: more rounds in magazines, faster turnarounds at depots, and tighter alignment of US and European industrial clocks.
The Dutch-US feasibility study is more than a manufacturing footnote; it is a deliberate move to convert transatlantic political alignment into industrial throughput for NATO’s most ubiquitous beyond-visual-range missile. If carried through to implementation, a Dutch AMRAAM line would convert demand pressure into credible capacity, close timelines for European users and sustain US and allied stocks for the long haul. The message to adversaries is unambiguous: the Alliance is investing not only in new concepts, but in the immediate munitions depth required to defend its airspace and its partners.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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The Netherlands and the United States have launched a joint study to expand production of Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles within Dutch industry. The move aims to strengthen NATO’s defense supply chain and accelerate missile deliveries for F-35 and NASAMS systems.
On November 3, 2025, the Dutch government announced that the United States has approved a feasibility study to explore Dutch industry’s involvement in the production, assembly, and maintenance of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, this marks the first step toward co-producing AMRAAMs with a European NATO partner, a strategic move aimed at easing transatlantic supply chain bottlenecks. This initiative could significantly impact the delivery speed of AMRAAMs for NATO’s F-35 fighter jets and NASAMS ground-based air defense systems, while also reinforcing military support for Ukraine. By relocating parts of the missile supply chain to Europe, NATO stands to gain deeper ammunition reserves and greater capacity to ramp up production when needed.
The Netherlands will conduct a feasibility study with Raytheon to locally produce American AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, marking the first potential co-production of this beyond-visual-range air-to-air weapon with a European NATO partner (Picture Source: Dutch MoD)
AMRAAM is the backbone beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile of Western air forces, fielded since the early 1990s and continuously upgraded to today’s C-7/C-8 and D/D-3 standards. Its active radar seeker, mid-course datalink and “fire-and-update” employment have made it the default armament on F-35, F-16, F/A-18 and other platforms, and its guidance section also equips NASAMS launchers for medium-range ground-based air defence. Raytheon’s AMRAAM-ER extends the ground-launched engagement envelope with a larger motor, giving NASAMS higher-altitude, longer-range intercepts, an evolution that has proven directly relevant as allies expand layered air defence.
From an operational standpoint, AMRAAM has a long combat pedigree, from early post-Cold War air policing and no-fly-zone missions to recent interceptions of cruise missiles and UAVs. In Ukraine, NASAMS batteries employing AMRAAM have been credited by open sources and officials with high effectiveness against Russian air threats, underscoring the missile’s adaptability from the air-to-air arena to integrated air and missile defence on land. This operational record is central to current demand signals and to the rationale for expanding production sites.
The strategic importance of enabling AMRAAM production in the Netherlands is threefold. First, it hardens NATO’s supply chain by distributing manufacturing, assembly and MRO closer to European users, reducing transatlantic logistics drag and lead-time risk during high-tempo contingencies. Second, it deepens US-European defence industrial integration: the Dutch initiative is explicitly described as a first step in AMRAAM co-production with a European NATO partner, aligning with The Hague’s Defence Strategy for Industry and Innovation while supporting US export backlogs. Third, it directly addresses capacity shortfalls created by simultaneous US recapitalisation, allied rearmament and urgent stocks for Ukraine, turning Europe from a pure demand centre into an additional source of supply for a US-designed missile.
Seen against competing and complementary systems, AMRAAM’s advantage remains integration and scale. Europe’s MBDA Meteor offers formidable kinematics with a ramjet and a larger no-escape zone, but it is not widely integrated on US platforms and ground systems; AMRAAM, by contrast, is already cleared across F-35 partners and NASAMS operators, with mature logistics and training pipelines. The US AIM-260 JATM promises next-generation reach for peer-on-peer air combat, yet it remains in the transition to large-scale fielding; until then, AMRAAM continues as the Alliance’s workhorse for both air and ground launchers. Co-production in the Netherlands therefore complements, rather than displaces, these programs by expanding the missile the Alliance can employ today.
Geopolitically and militarily, a European AMRAAM production node would anchor a transatlantic “two-hemisphere” supply posture. It would shorten replenishment loops for European F-35 users and NASAMS operators, strengthen NATO’s integrated air and missile defence magazines ahead of any prolonged crisis, and send a clear signal of shared industrial risk-taking with the United States. For Washington, Dutch participation distributes surge risk without relinquishing design authority, stabilises deliveries under Foreign Military Sales, and frees US lines to absorb JATM transition and other munitions ramp-ups. For Brussels and allied capitals, it reduces exposure to single-point failures and supports the political objective of a more self-reliant European pillar inside NATO.
As a defence product, AMRAAM’s enduring strengths are its platform ubiquity, software-driven refresh path and the ability to serve dual communities, air forces and ground-based air defenders, within a single seeker and guidance architecture. Against similar missiles, it trades some raw end-game energy for unmatched integration breadth and proven networked employment, factors that often determine what can be fielded at scale in wartime. Co-production in the Netherlands would therefore multiply readiness where it counts: more rounds in magazines, faster turnarounds at depots, and tighter alignment of US and European industrial clocks.
The Dutch-US feasibility study is more than a manufacturing footnote; it is a deliberate move to convert transatlantic political alignment into industrial throughput for NATO’s most ubiquitous beyond-visual-range missile. If carried through to implementation, a Dutch AMRAAM line would convert demand pressure into credible capacity, close timelines for European users and sustain US and allied stocks for the long haul. The message to adversaries is unambiguous: the Alliance is investing not only in new concepts, but in the immediate munitions depth required to defend its airspace and its partners.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
