F-22 Records "Longest Known" AIM-120 AMRAAM Launch as Raytheon Lifts Production

Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force recorded the "longest known" AIM-120 AMRAAM launch from an F-22 during F3R development tests, a milestone Raytheon says comes as AMRAAM production rises nearly 50%. The announcement highlights extended reach for current BVR capability while the AIM-260 successor awaits fielding.

Discovered 2025-09-16T06:05:48.524169-07:00 | 2025-09-16T06:05:48.524169-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Demonstrates extended engagement reach for the current AIM-120 in operational platforms: the "longest-known" launch from an F-22 confirms the missile retains growing utility even as production rises nearly 50%.
  • Shapes near-term procurement and force-planning trade-offs between modernising current AMRAAM stocks and transitioning to next-gen weapons, set against ongoing AIM-260 development and testing (see the USAF's AIM-260 advancement and development and budget moves toward initial AIM-260 production funding; the service is also ramping up AIM-260 tests and F-22 integration.

Reported By

UK Defence Journal calibredefence.co.uk militarywatchmagazine.com aerospaceglobalnews.com milmag.pl galaxiamilitar.es
Sources Tracked
33
First Seen
2025-09-16T06:05:48.524169-07:00
Latest Update
2025-09-22T04:24:58.751515-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

Hype groups these reports into one evolving story so you can compare coverage without losing the thread.

Related Coverage