Aviation News – Defense giant Raytheon, an RTX business, has secured a multi-year contract valued at up to $20.7 billion to accelerate the manufacturing of AMRAAM missiles to record-setting levels. Awarded under the Department of War’s Arsenal of Freedom initiative, the deal aims to replenish critical defense stockpiles and supply advanced weaponry to U.S. and allied forces.
The five-year multi-year agreement, which includes two option years, formalizes a landmark framework established between Raytheon and defense leadership earlier this year. That underlying accord establishes an operational target to manufacture at least 1,900 AMRAAM missiles annually to satisfy escalating requirements across international defense networks. The landmark procurement effort expands missile availability for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and key global security partners.
To fulfill the heightened manufacturing volume, RTX has aggressively expanded its industrial footprint and nearly doubled its munition production rate in 2025 relative to 2024 levels. The production scaling strategy relies on deep integration with hundreds of domestic small and mid-sized supply chain partners, alongside active exploration of international co-production avenues. This multi-tiered operational model stabilizes raw material pipelines and ensures long-term output resiliency across manufacturing hubs.
The AMRAAM® (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) operates as a primary combat-proven interceptor capable of engaging targets far beyond visual line of sight. Equipped with sophisticated active radar guidance and robust electronic protection suites, the platform maintains superior targeting precision even within heavily jammed, contested battlespaces. Its tactical flexibility allows seamless integration across both fixed-wing fighter aircraft and surface-launched ground defense installations, such as the NASAMS system.
“AMRAAM remains the world’s most trusted, combat-proven air dominance weapon for the United States and our allies, delivering beyond-visual-range lethality with advanced guidance and electronic protection in contested environments,” stated Raytheon President Phil Jasper regarding the industrial expansion.
