US upgrades missiles on F-22 Raptor, competing with China and Russia

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor has achieved its longest-ever range with the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), according to missile maker Raytheon.

It's unclear how far the fighter was from its target when it fired the missile, but the milestone represents a continued evolution of the AMRAAM's capabilities as well as the U.S. military's growing focus on long-range air-to-air missiles to keep up with advances in China and Russia.

Breakthrough experiment ?

The tests took place in airspace near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in the fall of 2024. According to Raytheon, the tests "demonstrated the ability to extend the flight time of the AMRAAM, and that the munition could significantly increase the lethality of fifth-generation aircraft."

The version of the AMRAAM used is the F3R, developed for the US Air Force, primarily for performance enhancement purposes. This is important because although the successor version AIM-260 is about to enter service, the AMRAAM will still be in widespread use for decades.

The test launch underscores ongoing efforts to upgrade the F-22, adding new capabilities to the small, highly capable and highly sought-after Raptor fleet. Several other upgrades are underway to keep the F-22 cutting-edge and relevant, potentially extending into the 2040s. These include a new Infrared Countermeasures System (IRDS), along with additional sensors and an external fuel tank that increases stealth.

AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). (Photo: Raytheon)

The new F-22 test makes interesting parallels to a test announced in 2021, in which an F-15C Eagle destroyed a drone target at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. That earlier test was also described by the Air Force as the “longest known air-to-air missile launch” at the time.

The AMRAAM used in the Tyndall test was the latest AIM-120D. And while it looks like one of the earlier AMRAAMs, the D version has a significantly longer range. Overall, it is said to be able to hit targets at ranges of 75 to 100 miles (120 to 160 km).

However, when it comes to actual use, there are many factors that affect a missile's range, especially the energy state and altitude of the launching aircraft and the target. For the F-22, long-range air-to-air missile engagements often rely on the power of the launching aircraft's active electronically scanned array radar system, such as the AN/APG-77.

An F-15C fires an AIM-120C AMRAAM missile during a Combat Archer Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP) mission. (Photo: Michael Ammons)

Compare milestones

When it comes to both of these landmark AMRAAM tests, it's unclear how they compare to the longest-range air-to-air missiles in US Navy history.

According to TMZ, there is evidence of at least two extremely long-range AIM-54 Phoenix test shots dating back to the 1970s. One of them appears to have involved a drone being shot down at a distance of just over 126 miles (202 km) after being launched from an F-14A Tomcat. Another, allegedly during a January 1979 exercise in Iran, saw an AIM-54 hit a drone target at a range of 132 miles (212 km).

There are some current air-to-air missiles that are said to have maximum ranges far exceeding these.

Much of the US military's push to field longer-range air-to-air missiles is believed to be driven by developments in China and Russia. The Air Force has previously publicly stated that the emergence of China's PL-15 air-to-air missile is the primary driver of its long-range development. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has determined that the PL-15 has a longer range than the AIM-120D.

The PL-15 is widely used, and China is also working on longer-range weapons, including the PL-17, a much larger, long-range missile that may be designed primarily to target high-value targets, such as tanker aircraft and airborne early warning aircraft.

There is also the PL-16 missile, which appears to have been developed to allow the J-20 fighter to carry six long-range missiles internally (instead of four PL-15 missiles).

The Pentagon assesses that the threat from this development will only increase. TWZ previously reported that the Air Force expects to have surface-to-air missiles that can hit aircraft at ranges of up to 1,000 miles by 2050 – a huge leap forward in anti-access/area denial capabilities compared to the range that current anti-aircraft missiles can reach.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/my-nang-tam-ten-lua-tren-f-22-raptor-canh-tranh-voi-trung-quoc-va-nga-post2149054416.html