Why AIM-120 AMRAAM Missile Is a Legend –Fox 1, when you’ve got nothing left/Fox 2, it’s the heater in your chest/Fox 3, the only friend you’ll ever need/The c***s****r m*****f****r Jeremiah Weed.
Thus goes the refrain to the song Jeremiah Weed, sung by Dos Gringos — two F-16 Viper pilots turned professional singers. The tune extols the virtues of a drink of that same name, one that has long been a traditional and potent potable in the U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, navigator, and Air Battle Manager communities.
So then, what do these bits of military radio jargon mean?
I’m glad you asked.
Fox 1 refers to the launch of a semi-active radar guided missile such as the AIM-7 Sparrow. Fox 2 is an infrared heat-seeking missile such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Last but definitely not least, Fox 3 refers to an active radar guided missile such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM — affectionately nicknamed the Slammer, which is a bit easier to remember than Air Intercept Missile 120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
As the official moniker implies, the AIM-120 is the most advanced and sophisticated weapon of the bunch.
AIM-120 History & Specifications
The AIM-120 AMRAAM completed its conceptual phase way back in 1979, but it didn’t enter into production and operational service until 1991. For the first six years, the system was produced by Hughes Aircraft Company, and it has been produced by Raytheon ever since.
According to the official U.S. Air Force fact sheet, “AMRAAM is a follow-on to the AIM-7 Sparrow missile series. The missile is faster, smaller and lighter, and has improved capabilities against low-altitude targets. It incorporates active radar with an inertial reference unit and micro-computer system, which makes the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft. Once the missile closes on a target, its active radar guides it to intercept. This enables the pilot to aim and fire several missiles simultaneously at multiple targets. The pilot may then perform evasive maneuvers while the missiles guide themselves to their targets.”
In other words, the Slammer, unlike the semi-active Sparrow, gives a fighter pilot true fire-and-forget capabilities. This increases the probability of killing the enemy and decreases the probability of getting killed by the enemy.
Moreover, the Slammer has all-weather and beyond-visual-range capabilities.
Specifications include a length of 143.9 inches, a launch weight of 335 pounds, a diameter of 7 inches, a wingspan of 20.7 inches, a range of 17.38 nautical miles, and a max airspeed of Mach-4 (4,501 feet per second). The warhead weighs 40 pounds and is of the high explosive blast fragmentation type.
Combat Performance Record
According to Raytheon, the AIM-120 AMRAAM has been officially credited with 13 air-to-air kills. That has yet to match the 25 kills that the Sparrow garnered during Operation Desert Storm alone, but by all accounts the accuracy and reliability of the Slammer is far superior.
The first AMRAAM kill occurred on Dec. 27, 1992. Coincidentally, it was also the first air-to-air kill scored by the F-16. This double milestone was achieved by Lt. Col. Gary “Nordo” North, callsign Benji 41, in support of Operation Southern Watch, against an Iraqi-piloted MiG-25 Foxbat. The feat becomes all the more remarkable when you consider that the Soviet-designed Foxbat is the fastest interceptor ever built, with an on-paper max airspeed of Mach-3.2.
Where Are They Now?
Needless to say, the Slammer is still very much in service. In addition to AIM-120s in the U.S. Air Force arsenal of F-16s, F-15 Eagles, F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps employ it with their F/A-18 Hornets, Super Hornets, and F-35s. Moreover, roughly 35 U.S.-allied nations’ air forces use the missile, including the Royal Australian Air Force, the Lithuanian Air Force, and the UAE Air Force. The U.S. Navy in particular declares that the AIM-120 is “scheduled to be operational beyond 2050.” In short, the AIM-120 AMRAAM ain’t going away anytime soon.
For the sake of military hardware and history buffs who have neither a DOD CAC card nor the security clearance needed to examine a live ARMAAM at a military installation, don’t worry, y’all still have museums to fall back on. Visit the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation at Eglin AFB, Florida, as well as the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio.
Christian D. Orr is a former U.S. Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon).Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published inThe Daily TorchandThe Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of theNaval Order of the United States (NOUS). In his spare time, he enjoys shooting, dining out, cigars, Irish and British pubs, travel, USC Trojans college football, and Washington DC professional sports.
