New Raytheon AIM-9X Block II Missile Achieves Two-for-Two in Testing

New Raytheon AIM-9X Block II Missile Achieves Two-for-Two in Testing
December 21, 2009

TUCSON, Ariz., -- A U.S. Air Force F-15C fired Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder advanced, infrared-guided air-to-air missile as part of the missile's developmental testing program. The weapon successfully guided and passed within lethal range of a BQM-74 target drone, meeting all primary test objectives.

The Nov. 20 test occurred at the U.S. Air Force's Eglin Air Force Base test range and marks the second time the missile has been fired.

"The AIM-9X Block II will give the warfighter an unparalleled advantage," said Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, the U.S. Navy's Air-to-Air Missile program manager. "AIM-9X Block II offers the warfighter a solution that combines maneuverability, off-boresight capability, speed and affordability."

The AIM-9X Block II adds a lock-on-after-launch capability, redesigned fuze and a one-way forward-quarter datalink capability to the AIM-9X Block I.

"The U.S. Navy and Raytheon achieved this milestone by leveraging our experience building more than 4,000 AIM-9X Block I missiles for the U.S. and its allies," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems Air Warfare Systems' product line. "Raytheon is committed to helping warfighters around the world defeat advanced threats by providing the most capable and reliable air-to-air missiles in the world."

Note to editors:
The first test shot of AIM-9X Block II took place in November 2008 and was successful.

More than 400 Raytheon employees design and build the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile in Tucson, Ariz., Andover, Mass., and Goleta, Calif.

Hundreds of employees in scores of businesses across the U.S. manufacture AIM-9X components. Major suppliers include: Alliant Techsystems, Rocket Center, W.Va.; Atlantic Inertial Systems, Cheshire, Conn.; Axsys Technology, San Diego, Calif.; BAE Container Solutions, Longmont, Colo.; Celestica, Austin, Texas; Cristek Interconnects, Anaheim, Calif.; ENSER, St. Petersburg, Fla.; HR Textron, Valencia, Calif.; Klune Industries, Spanish Forks, Utah; L3 Comm, San Diego, Calif.; L3 KDI Precision Products, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Technorati Tags:
Missiles, Raytheon (NYSE:RTN)