Raytheon to Radically Boost Production of Air Force’s Main Dogfighting Missile

Raytheon, a division of defense giant RTX, recently announced a multiyear deal with the Pentagon to increase annual production of the Air Force’s primary dogfighting missile by more than 50 percent from two years ago.

The deal will see the firm increase the number of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, it produces to “at least” 1,900 annually. That’s about a 58 percent increase from 2024, when Raytheon set a goal to produce 1,200 AIM-120s annually to meet increasing global demand, a spokesperson said.

The AMRAAM deal was one of five to surge missile production for the Pentagon that Raytheon announced Feb. 4. The others cover Tomahawk cruise missiles, Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors, Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptors, and Standard Missile-6s—munitions primarily used by the Navy.

All the new deals could last up to seven years, RTX said.

The AMRAAM is in service with the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as 43 U.S. allied partners. The latest version is widely used on fourth- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft and serves as the primary interceptor for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS.

It’s still unclear exactly how many of the additional AMRAAMs produced under this new agreement will go to the Air Force. The service requested 483 missiles in its 2026 budget, with funding split between the discretionary base budget and the mandatory reconciliation funding passed by Congress. That reconciliation package included $525 million for production and procurement of “medium-range air-to-air missiles,” $300 million of which the Air Force planned to spend in 2026.

Last July, the Air Force placed a $3.5 billion order for an undisclosed number of AMRAAMs for itself, the Navy, and various Foreign Military Sales users that’s slated to run through 2031.

In October, Air Force Chief of Staff nominee Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said he would devote special attention to coordinating with the Navy on how the services jointly buy AIM-120s and the new, secret AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.

The newest version of the AIM-120, the AIM-120D, improves the missile’s range while increasing its kinetic energy against advanced long-distance threats. It also has better GPS-assisted guidance and is more resistant to enemy jamming attacks. The AIM-120C, on the other hand, is optimized for internal carriage on the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lighting II.

Chris Calio, CEO of RTX, said the multiyear agreements “redefine how government and industry can partner to speed the delivery of critical technologies,” according to the announcement.

The company indicated it had made investments associated with these framework agreements in RTX’s recently announced financial outlook for 2026, according to the announcement. Calio said Jan. 27 during an earnings call that RTX officials “feel the responsibility and urgency to deliver more and deliver it faster” to meet the Pentagon’s needs.