Overview

• Raytheon disclosed that an F-22 fired the longest known AMRAAM shot by a fifth‑generation fighter during fall 2024 tests over lin AiAir Force Base, demonstrating extended time of flight.
• The company says the improvement stems chiefly from F3R updates—modernized electronics, a more efficient battery, and flight‑profile software that optimizes high‑altitude, high‑speed launches—without changing propulsion.
• Officials say the software changes are transparent to pilots and require no additional training to employ the updated weapon.
• Raytheon reports nearly a 50% production rate increase this year and cites a record $3.5 billion award for Lots 39–40 plus a $760 million contract for obsolescence mitigation, with current production missiles incorporating the demonstrated capability.
• The precise range remains classified, and the upgrade is positioned alongside the Air Force’s longer‑range AIM‑260 JATM program, as global demand continues with U.S. approval of a potential $570 million AMRAAM sale to the Netherlands.