The U.S. Department of War (DoW) announced a five-year contract with two option years with Raytheon Co., an RTX business, to produce Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) weapons. The contract, worth as much as $20.7 billion, represents a significant increase in AMRAAM production for the U.S. and allied forces (see figure). It will be executed jointly by the U.S. Department of War (DoW), the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and foreign military sales allies; it was awarded as part of the DoW’s Arsenal of Freedom. 

Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, Michael P. Duffey, noted: “We are working across the defense industry to ramp production and build the Arsenal of Freedom.” Regarding the boost in air-to-air defense, Duffey added: “This award strengthens our ability to equip the Joint Force and our allies with a proven air-to-air capability, ensuring our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage.” The business follows an earlier contract for annual production of at least 1900 AMRAAMs. 

Raytheon president Phil Jasper observed: “AMRAAM remains the world's most trusted, combat-proven air dominance weapon for the United States and our allies, delivering beyond-visual-range lethality with advanced guidance and electronic protection in contested environments.” He added: “We continue to make significant investments in our workforce, technology, supply chain, and facilities to rapidly scale production capacity and meet surging demand from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and our international partners.”