Italian Fighter Jets Will Be Armed With Latest AIM-120D-3 Missiles

The US State Department has approved the sale of advanced AIM-120D-3 air-to-air missiles to Italy.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) reported that Italy has ordered 30 of these advanced missiles.

The order also includes 40 AIM-120C-8 air-to-air missiles, as well as other related equipment and services worth approximately $211 million.

“The proposed sale will improve Italy’s ability to meet current and future threats by providing it with modern and powerful air-to-air munitions,” the DSCA announced.

It will also promote the interoperability of the Italian armed forces with NATO and increase operational cooperation with the United States. Italy already has AMRAAM missiles in its arsenal and will have no difficulty integrating the new versions.

The main contractor will be RTX Corporation, located in Tucson, Arizona.

In 2023 alone, RTX successfully completed all developmental and operational tests of the AIM-120D-3 missile.

The final stage was a demonstration of combat use on an F-16 fighter jet using commercially available hardware and software.

The AIM-120 is the most powerful AMRAAM missile, which, after modernization, has significantly expanded its combat potential.

The new version of the AIM-120D-3 features an updated electronic base and an increased range of up to 180 km, according to Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

This year, the U.S. State Department also approved the sale of 400 AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles to Poland. The total value of the potential contract is estimated at $1.33 billion.

Last year, it was also reported that Ukrainian F-16s would receive the latest versions of the AIM-120 missile from the United States.