*Sources: DTN News / Raytheon Company
(NSI News Source Info) TUCSON, Ariz., - July 2, 2009: The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company a $166.9 million contract for Lot 9 production and delivery of the AIM-9X infrared-guided air-to-air missile. 
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. It is named after the sidewinder snake, which detects its prey via body heat and also because of the peculiar snake-like path of flight the early versions had when launched. The Sidewinder was the first truly effective air-to-air missile, widely imitated and copied; yet its variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces after five decades. When a Sidewinder missile is being launched, NATO pilots use the brevity code Fox two in radio communication, as with all "heat-seeking" missiles.
About 110,000 Sidewinders have been built, of which perhaps one percent have been used in combat, resulting in some 250-300 kills world-wide to date. The missile was designed to be simple to upgrade.*
The firm-fixed-price contract will provide the U.S. military and its allies with AIM-9X Block I missiles and introduce into the inventory the new AIM-9X Block II captive air training missile (CATM). The contract will provide more than 250 jobs for Raytheon employees and create work for more than 10 major suppliers in eight states.
"Lot 9 continues to add to the inventory of the very successful Block I while setting the stage for AIM-9X Block II," said Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, the U.S. Navy's air-to-air missile program manager. "The delivery of these CATM rounds is a critical first step in delivering a revolutionary new capability to the warfighter."
Raytheon has delivered more than 3,600 AIM-9X Block I missiles to eight countries and is on contract to deliver missiles to two additional countries. In 2008 the U.S. Navy test fired the first AIM-9X Block II as part of developmental testing.
"By leveraging our experience building the AIM-9X Block I, we plan to begin production of AIM-9X Block II in late 2010," said Dave Adams, Raytheon's AIM-9X program director. "Test after test has demonstrated the reliability of the AIM-9X Block I, and we intend to continue delivering this level of performance to the warfighter with AIM-9X Block II."
Raytheon Company, with 2008 sales of $23.2 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 87 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide.
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. It is named after the sidewinder snake, which detects its prey via body heat and also because of the peculiar snake-like path of flight the early versions had when launched. The Sidewinder was the first truly effective air-to-air missile, widely imitated and copied; yet its variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces after five decades. When a Sidewinder missile is being launched, NATO pilots use the brevity code Fox two in radio communication, as with all "heat-seeking" missiles.
About 110,000 Sidewinders have been built, of which perhaps one percent have been used in combat, resulting in some 250-300 kills world-wide to date. The missile was designed to be simple to upgrade.*
The firm-fixed-price contract will provide the U.S. military and its allies with AIM-9X Block I missiles and introduce into the inventory the new AIM-9X Block II captive air training missile (CATM). The contract will provide more than 250 jobs for Raytheon employees and create work for more than 10 major suppliers in eight states.
"Lot 9 continues to add to the inventory of the very successful Block I while setting the stage for AIM-9X Block II," said Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, the U.S. Navy's air-to-air missile program manager. "The delivery of these CATM rounds is a critical first step in delivering a revolutionary new capability to the warfighter."
Raytheon has delivered more than 3,600 AIM-9X Block I missiles to eight countries and is on contract to deliver missiles to two additional countries. In 2008 the U.S. Navy test fired the first AIM-9X Block II as part of developmental testing.
"By leveraging our experience building the AIM-9X Block I, we plan to begin production of AIM-9X Block II in late 2010," said Dave Adams, Raytheon's AIM-9X program director. "Test after test has demonstrated the reliability of the AIM-9X Block I, and we intend to continue delivering this level of performance to the warfighter with AIM-9X Block II."
Raytheon Company, with 2008 sales of $23.2 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 87 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide.
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