Tucson, Ariz. In a joint US Air Force-Navytest, a F-35A intercepted an airborne target using a Raytheon Company AIM-9X Block I, the first short-range, air-to-air missile to be integrated on the next-generation fighter, a Raytheon press statement said July 11.
The test proved the AIM-9X’s ‘end-to-end’ system capability on the F-35, from loading through target intercept.
“The aircraft and missile must work together, communicating and sharing data, to intercept a target,” said Mark Justus, AIM-9X Programme Director for Raytheon Missile Systems. “AIM-9X and many of Raytheon’s other air-launched weapons will provide next-generation fire power for the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft.”
The F-35 can carry two AIM-9X missiles on its wings and four AIM-120s internally when configured for an air dominance mission. The AIM-9X is on track for integration across the F-35 fleet in 2017.
