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Raytheon aims high on AMRAAM sales
November 16th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Posted by Andrew Chuter
Raytheon’s AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile continues to notch up customers in the Gulf region, with Saudi Arabia being added to a lengthening list of countries either buying the weapon for the first time or having their inventories upgraded to the latest standard.
Rico Rodriguez, the senior business development manager for AMRAAM, said that the U.S. government is processing a draft letter of agreement with the Saudis, along with a request from the Bahraini government to upgrade their respective air forces with the C-7 version.
A Raytheon spokesman declined to indicate a timescale for when the draft letters of agreement might be firmed up, saying it was a matter for the governments involved.
The C-7 weapon, which features an improved guidance system along with other changes, is the latest exportable variant of the wide-selling missile.
The C-7 standard weapon will be followed on the production line by the AIM-120D version. The latest development is destined for the U.S. military but has yet to be fielded. It is some time away from being cleared for export.
The draft LOA’s for Saudi and Bahrain are the culmination of what has been a busy year for AMRAAM in the Middle East and North Africa regions. At the IDEX show in Abu Dhabi in February, the United Arab Emirates announced its already formidable fleet of F-16 Block 60 fighters was to be upgraded with the addition to its inventory of the latest C-7 variant.
That is now followed by an agreement with Jordan, which has signed up to upgrade its F-16s’ air-to-air capability to the C-7 standard.
To complete the wider regional picture, Rodriguez said Kuwait is adding its name to the list of new customers for the weapon.
The Gulf state joins Morocco in the North Africa region as a recent new customer for the missile.
The U.S. missile maker is now looking to follow-up its AIM-120C-7 success in the air-to-air market with further sales of the surface-launched version of the weapon.
Rodriguez said Raytheon was in dialogue with three potential Middle East customers over a surface-launched sale. He declined to name the countries.
The UAE has signaled its interest in a possible purchase of the weapon and the U.S. government sought congressional approval of the deal in 2008.
Raytheon officials at the show said those neotiations are ongoing.
The U.S. company is exploring the concept of marrying the AIM-120C-7 guidance section with an improved rocket motor to produce a new version of the missile for the surface-launched market, Rodriquez said.
Raytheon is exploring possible financial and industrial partnership options in the Gulf region and elsewhere on development of the weapon, he said.
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