Pakistan may soon receive AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles from the United States under a recently modified arms deal. The update came after Islamabad sent its first rare earth mineral samples to Washington, signaling closer ties between the two countries.
The US Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) added Pakistan to a $2.51 billion missile production contract with Raytheon, the manufacturer of AMRAAM. The modification, worth $41.6 million, covers the C8 and D3 variants of the missile and is expected to be completed by May 2030. Other buyers include allies such as the UK, Germany, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
The development has raised concerns in India since the AMRAAM is compatible only with Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets. In 2019, a Pakistani F-16 fired an AMRAAM missile to down an Indian MiG-21 flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Analysts believe the new deal could point to upgrades in Pakistan’s F-16 fleet.
The AIM-120 is one of the most advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles in the world. With “fire-and-forget” technology, it allows pilots to strike targets over long distances without continuous radar guidance.
This deal comes as Washington and Islamabad strengthen relations after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir visited the White House.
