ASRAAM Block 6 on schedule for UK aircraft, says minister
RAF Typhoons deployed on Operation Biloxi in Romania, May 2021. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright/SAC Ben Mayfield)
The MBDA-manufactured AIM-132 Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) Block 6 will enter service in the UK on the Eurofighter Typhoon in 2022 and on the F-35 Lightning II in 2024, defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin told MPs on 21 October.
In response to a question from Shadow Secretary of State for Defence John Healey MP, Quin added that the MoD incurred any extra costs on the air-to-air missile programme and ASRAAM ‘continues to be delivered within [the] Complex Weapons Portfolio contract price’.
ASRAAM is a within-visual-range advanced heat-seeking weapon to equip RAF F-35A and RN F-35B Lightning II aircraft with the ability to defeat current and future air adversaries. The missile is equipped with a 10kg blast fragmentation warhead and an inertial guidance system with IR homing.
In 2016 it was announced that MBDA will produce ASRAAM for the F-35 under a £184 million ($253 million) contract. MBDA is also under contract for ASRAAM capability sustainment for Typhoon.
In addition to the RAF, ASRAAM is in operational service with the Royal Australian Air Force on its F/A-18 Hornets and on Indian Air Force Jaguar strike aircraft as the New-Generation Close Combat Missile.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Will drone motherships form part of tomorrow’s warfare?
While motherships offer multiple operational advantages, the changes in the character of warfare may bring new tactics to the battlefield, reducing their role.
-
Sweden signs contract for $552 million Gripen E/F sale to Thailand
The confirmed order now makes Thailand the third country to operate the Gripen E/F aircraft, after sales to Sweden and Brazil.
-
Tactical UAS: mission-driven innovation for a new battlefield era
As global conflicts evolve and the limitations of traditional UAS become clear, Aeronautics is redefining the tactical unmanned aerial systems space with platforms that prioritize survivability, flexibility, and mission effectiveness.
-
Australian Government looks inwards to drop Chinese-made DJI drones
Over the next decade the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) says it will invest some A$600 million of approved funding into the development and introduction of a range of airborne, surface and subsurface uncrewed systems.
-
Will the Eurofighter Typhoon’s fight for new markets prevail?
Poland and Turkey are often cited as potential fresh export opportunities for the Eurofighter Typhoon. But are the sales prospects realistic and what factors could tip the balance?