The US Department of War (previously known as the Department of Defence) announced recently that the Tucson, Arizona-based defence contractor Raytheon got a $41.7 million contract modification to continue the production of C-8 and D-3 variants of AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM).
Among the countries listed in the Foreign Military Sales framework was Pakistan, signalling that the two countries will now be engaged in a fresh round of defence cooperation.
The contract will be completed by May 30, 2030.
"Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $41,681,329 firm-fixed-price modification (P00026) to a previously awarded contract (FA8675-23-C-0037) for Advance Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles C8 and D3 variants and the production thereof," a statement from the US Department of War said.
The other countries that the missiles wioll be sold are: United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Isreal, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey.
Why is the sale a worry for India?
While the exact number of missiles that the US will be selling to Pakistan remains unclear, the sale is significant as these weapons are interoperable with the Pakistan Air Force's F-16s. Currently, Pakistan operates the older C-5 variant of AMRAAM.
Pakistan is reported to have used AMRAAM during the 2019 aerial engagements with India following the Balakot airstrikes.
Touted as one of the most sophisticated, combat-proven air dominance weapons in the world, AMRAAM offers a combination of inertial guidance, midcourse updates, and an onboard active radar to find the intended target and complete the intercept. Compared to the C-5 variant, the latest versions (C8, D3) of the missile are expected to offer extended and superior electronic protection. The addition of these missiles to the PAF will further strengthen its air-to-air missile capabilities.