Hughes-Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced "am-ram"), is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-and-fit factors as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget missile with active guidance. When an AMRAAM missile is being launched, NATO pilots use the brevity code - Fox Three.

Overview
AMRAAM has an all-weather, beyond-visual-range (BVR) capability. It improves the aerial combat capabilities of U.S. and allied aircraft to meet the current threat of enemy air-to-air weapons as they existed in 1991. AMRAAM serves as a follow-on to the AIM-7 Sparrow missile series. The new missile is faster, smaller, and lighter, and has improved capabilities against low-altitude targets. It also incorporates a datalink to guide the missile to a point where its active radar turns on and makes terminal intercept of the target. An inertial reference unit and micro-computer system makes the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft.

Once the missile closes in on the target, its active radar guides it to intercept. This feature, known as "fire-and-forget", frees the aircrew from the need to further provide guidance, enabling the aircrew to aim and fire several missiles simultaneously at multiple targets and perform evasive maneuvers while the missiles guide themselves to the targets.

The missile also features the ability to "Home on Jamming," giving it the ability to switch over from active radar homing to passive homing – homing on jamming signals from the target aircraft. Software on board the missile allows it to detect if it is being jammed, and guide on its target using the proper guidance system.

Operators

 * Australia
 * Bahrain
 * Belgium
 * Canada
 * Chile
 * Czech Republic
 * Denmark
 * Finland
 * Germany
 * Greece
 * Hungary
 * Iran
 * Israel
 * Italy
 * Japan
 * Jordan
 * Kuwait
 * Malaysia
 * Mexico
 * Morocco
 * Netherlands
 * New Zealand
 * Norway
 * Oman
 * Pakistan
 * Poland
 * Portugal
 * Saudi Arabia
 * Singapore
 * South Korea
 * Spain
 * Sweden
 * Switzerland
 * Taiwan
 * Thailand
 * Turkey
 * United Arab Emirates
 * United Kingdom
 * United States