AIM-120D Missile

Full Specifications

AIM-120D Advanced Air Dominance Missile

The AIM-120D AMRAAM represents the U.S. military’s latest advancement in beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile technology, enhancing survivability and lethality for modern fighter aircraft. Developed by Raytheon, the AIM-120D is an evolution of the proven AMRAAM family, designed to counter advanced aerial threats, including highly maneuverable fighters, cruise missiles, and unmanned systems.

Introduced into service in the early 2010s, the AIM-120D incorporates upgraded GPS-aided navigation, two-way data-link capability, improved kinematics, and enhanced electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM). Together, these improvements allow U.S. forces to engage targets at greater ranges with higher accuracy, even in contested electromagnetic environments. The missile is compatible with frontline U.S. fighters such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, F-15EX, F-16C/D, and F/A-18E/F, as well as numerous allied platforms.

The missile features an extended range believed to exceed 160+ km, depending on launch conditions, along with a top speed of approximately Mach 4. Its active radar seeker enables true fire-and-forget operation, allowing the launching aircraft to immediately maneuver or re-engage. The two-way data link enhances mid-course guidance, enabling in-flight trajectory updates against maneuvering or evasive targets.

The AIM-120D’s blast-fragmentation warhead is optimized for high-speed aerial engagements, supported by sophisticated fuzing for increased lethality. Its compact design allows internal carriage on stealth aircraft, maintaining low observability profiles and improving survivability.

As global airspace becomes increasingly contested, the AIM-120D remains a cornerstone of American air-superiority doctrine, ensuring U.S. and allied aircraft retain a decisive advantage in modern air combat scenarios.

AIM-120D Missile Price

In the United States defense market, the unit cost of the AIM-120D varies by order volume and integration requirements. Recent publicly available contract data indicates an estimated price range of $1.5–$2 million per missile, depending on configuration and support packages.