Their scope is up to 180 km. That's half as much as the older bullet model. They besides have an improved guidance and communication strategy and drive. The Polish Army will receive the latest version of AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM air-to-air rockets. The US government agreed to sale 400 rounds for a maximum of $1.33 billion. These can be utilized in F-35 fighters.
"Strategic Polish-American cooperation brings results – the latest air-air missiles will scope our Air Force! The U.S. Department of State has just agreed to Poland's acquisition of 400 latest AIM-120D-3 missiles. Their scope reaches up to 180 kilometres. This is another step in the large modernization of the Polish armed forces" - said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in social media.
According to the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) procedure, the American legislature now has 2 weeks to accept the decision to export this advanced weapon to Poland. If Congressmen do not address the subject within 14 days, the law assumes that they have given their alleged silent consent. Trade negotiations with the arms maker on the final price and transportation agenda may then begin.
Poland applied to the United States government last year not only for the sale of 400 AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles, but besides for a logistics and training package. It includes 16 AIM-120D-3 AMRAAAM guidance modules, KRV-135A encryption devices, AMRAAM control sections, AIM-120 AMRAAM (Instrumented Test Vehicle), investigating and programming devices (CMBRE) and ADU-891 test kits, among others.
AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM is the latest version produced since the early 1990s of air-to-air missiles. Polish air force has model C in their equipment (AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM and AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM). They are equipped with Polish F-16 fighters.
Although the rocket manufacturer, the American RTX company, does not uncover the exact weapon parameters, experts emphasize that AIM-120D-3 not only has a much larger scope than the erstwhile models – 180 km – but can besides be much faster than them. The maximum velocity of the projectile may exceed 4.5 Ma (in the case of the C-8 model it is about 4 Ma).
The fresh AMRAAAM model has an improved mark guidance system, a two-way communication link and is much more resistant to radio-electronic countermeasures than erstwhile AIM-120 versions.
Poland is the 5th country to which the US agreed to sale AIM-120 AMRAAAM missiles. They will be utilized in F-16, F-35 and FA-50PL fighters. In addition to Poland, approval to acquisition AIM-120D AMRAAM was granted to Denmark, Japan, Netherlands and Australia.
