RTX nets $264 million US Navy deal for AIM-9X missiles

Defence company RTX has been awarded a $264 million modification contract by the US Navy for the production of Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-9X Sidewinder missiles.

The Lot 23 contract was initially awarded in December last year. Under the modification, Raytheon, an RTX business, will produce and deliver 571 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER missiles and associated parts for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and foreign military sales customers.

Included in the modification, Raytheon will also provide captive air training systems, containers, spare assets, and related kits and support equipment.

The majority of work will be performed within the continental U.S. and is expected to be completed in August 2026.

The AIM-9X SIDEWINDER missile is a triple-threat missile that can be used for air-to-air engagements, surface-attack, and surface-launch missions without modifications.

The missile is the latest of the Sidewinder family of short-range air-to-air missiles. It features a high off-boresight focal-plane array seeker mounted on a highly maneuverable airframe with a greatly improved infrared counter-countermeasures feature. The AIM-9X incorporates many AIM-9M legacy components (rocket motor, warhead and active optical target detector), but its performance far exceeds the legacy Sidewinder. Unlike previous AIM-9 models, the AIM-9X can even be used against targets on the ground.

A U.S. Navy-led joint program with the U.S. Air Force, the AIM-9X SIDEWINDER also has 31 foreign military sales partners.