150 AIM-9 Sidewinder Missiles for Saudi Arabia

AIM-9X Sidewinder Raytheon Systems Co. in Tucson, AZ received a $17.1 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract (N00019-03-C-0003) for 150 AIM-9M/9X tactical missiles, 30 spare guidance control sections, and eight guidance control system containers for the Government of Saudi Arabia under the Foreign Military Sales program. Investigation reveals that N00019-03-C-0003 is simply a catch-all contract that includes many AIM-9 related foreign sale purchases by various countries. The AIM-9M is the “standard” Sidewinder in current service, while the AIM-9X is the latest version of the Sidewinder short-range air-air missile (SRAAM), and is the most advanced SRAAM in the USA’s inventory. It is more comparable to other 4th generation SRAAMs like the Israeli Python 4, British ASRAAM, French MBDA MICA IR, German/European IRIS-T, and Russian R-73 aka. AA-11 Archer (The Israeli Python 5 may be in a class all by itself at the moment, though ASRAAM shares a number of its unique features). Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (93%) and Andover, MA (7%), and is expected to be complete in December 2006. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract.