The U.S. Department of Defense has signed a contract with Raytheon to develop a new warhead and produce AIM-9X-4 Block II missiles, to meet domestic and Ukrainian needs.
Defence-Blog reported this with reference to the official website of the US Department of Defense.
Raytheon has received a contract worth up to $160.9 million. The contract will allow Raytheon to develop an improved version of the missile and ensure an uninterrupted supply by transferring the relevant technical data package for operation by other countries.
The work under the contract will include the development and qualification of a new WDU-17/B warhead, as well as the production of 126 AIM-9X-4 Block II missiles, 32 missile containers, and 20 spare DSU-41 active optical detectors and radio frequency communication channels.
These measures are aimed at ensuring a reliable supply of missiles for the US Armed Forces and its allies, including Ukraine. Enhancing the combat capabilities of the AIM-9X-4 Block II missile is expected to improve its effectiveness in intercepting air targets.
The contract includes work at several production sites, including Tucson (Arizona, USA) and Raufoss (Norway). Completion is scheduled for September 2029.
Militarnyi previously reported that a record contract for the purchase of short-range air-to-air missiles will increase the production of AIM-9X Block II missiles to 2500 per year.
