Air Force F-22 Conducts Operational Testing of New Weapons Tech

By Kris Osborn

Designed to help modernize the stealth fighter and expand the range of weapons it is able to fire in combat, service and industry officials said.

Air Force officials have told Scout Warrior that, by 2019, the service will begin upgrading F-22 functionality for the AIM-120D and AIM-9X Air-to-Air missiles as well as enhanced Air-to-Surface target location capabilities. The F-22 currently carries the AIM-9X Block 1 and the current upgrade will enable carriage of AIM-9X Block 2.

Current operational testing of the F-22 is focused upon a 3.2B software upgrade for the fighter, allowing it to quickly integrate weapons upgrades, a story in Aviation Week stated.

Raytheon AIM-9X weapons developers explain that the Block 2 variant adds a redesigned fuze and a digital ignition safety device that enhances ground handling and in-flight safety. Block II also features updated electronics that enable significant enhancements, including lock-on-after-launch capability using a new weapon datalink to support beyond visual range engagements, a Raytheon statement said.

Another part of the weapons upgrade includes engineering the F-22 to fire the AIM-120D, a beyond visual range Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), designed for all weather day-and-night attacks; it is a “fire and forget” missile with active transmit radar guidance, Raytheon data states. The AIM-120D is built with upgrades to previous AMRAAM missiles by increasing attack range, GPS navigation, inertial measurment units and a two-way data link, Raytheon statements explain.

The most recent contract award was to Raytheon Missile Systems as the prime contractor in Sep 2017, for software upgrades that will continue to improve the performance of the AIM-120D in an electronic attack environment, Capt. Emily Grabowski, Air Force Spokeswoman, told Scout Warrior in a statement.

“The AMRAAM program continues to increase capability through planned software upgrades to ensure the family of missiles remains viable against ever-evolving threats,” Grabowski added. “As the most recent AMRAAM missile for the Air Force, the AIM-120D, was operationally fielded in 2015, as a small, light, fast missile with improved capabilities against very low and high-altitude targets in an electronic attack environment.”