Released from the PEO-T Public Affairs Office, NAVAIR Patuxent River, MD

The NAVAIR Air-to-Air Missile Program Office (PMA-259) announced today that the AIM-9X Sidewinder has been approved for Full- Rate Production (FRP). Authorization for this milestone was granted by the Honorable John J. Young, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN (RD&A)) on May 15, 2004.

“It’s great to get approval for AIM-9X full-rate production,” said Air-to-Air Missile Systems Program Manager, Captain Scott Stewart. “Our Navy, Air Force and Allied aircrews deserve weapons that allow them to dominate in air-to-air combat. AIM-9X extends their tactical flexibility and capability beyond traditional missiles. It certainly has redefined the way we fight in aerial combat with its inherent transformational war-fighting capabilities.”

The AIM-9X is a joint U.S. Navy and Air Force program with the Navy designated as the lead service. As an acclaimed U.S. Department of Defense flagship program for Modeling and Simulation (M&S), it saved more than $50 million in development costs. Complemented by this sophisticated and accredited M&S capability, the AIM-9X program underwent an extensive and highly successful flight test program. The program successfully scored an unprecedented 18 of 19 guided flight successes during development testing and completed 22 operational evaluation firings. AIM-9X also proved to be highly reliable in more than 3,500 hours of rigorous captive flight-testing. Both services have declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The U. S. Air Force declared IOC in November 2003 at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the Navy with Marine Squadrons at Iwakuni, Japan, in February 2004.

"This key program milestone was achieved through effective teamwork and a strong systems design approach," said Raytheon's Air-to-Air Programs Director, Brock McCaman. "It is most rewarding to be delivering this revolutionary capability to our warfighters."

The AIM-9X system design approach incorporates a fifth-generation staring Focal Plane Array (FPA) seeker for robust guidance performance, and Infrared Countermeasure (IRCM) resistance and jet vane control for extremely agile turning performance.

For more information about the AIM-9X program, please contact Denise Deon Wilson, Public Affairs Officer for PEO(T) at 301-481-6263 or [email protected].

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