Navy Expects On-Time, On-Cost Delivery

Raytheon Company has received a $158 million contract for continued production of AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles and support materials. The contract includes 443 all-up-round AIM-9X tactical missiles, 153 AIM-9X training missiles and support equipment. The award was made by the US Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.

"The awarding of our first full rate production contract is a significant achievement for the AIM-9X program. I am extremely proud of the AIM-9X team's accomplishments in providing the US warfighter and our allies with the world's finest short range missile," said Navy Capt. Scott Stewart, the Naval Air Systems Command program manager for Air-to Air missile systems.

"Achieving full rate production is further testimony to the superb performance of the US government-Raytheon Missile Systems team. We remain committed to the on-schedule, on-cost delivery of AIM-9X, the next-generation Sidewinder that has truly changed the rules of air combat," said Brock McCaman, acting vice president for Raytheon Missile Systems Air-to-Air product line.

The AIM-9X is a joint US Navy and US Air Force program. It is the newest member of the AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missile family in use by more than 40 nations. AIM-9X capabilities include high off boresight acquisition and launch in high clutter and infrared countermeasures environments and extreme agility for "first shot, first kill" dogfight air dominance. The AIM-9X program successfully completed OPEVAL (operational evaluation) in November 2003 and was approved for full rate production in May 2004. Work will be performed at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ, and is to be completed in April 2007. Other nations that have selected AIM-9X include Switzerland, Poland, Denmark and South Korea.

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