The missiles in question, produced by RTX, are intended to serve as the primary armament of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft. The customer’s announcement does not specify the number of AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles ordered; however, in September the U.S. Department of State announced that the sale of 405 units had been authorized. Together with additional components, the package could be valued at up to 1.1 billion USD.
The delivery schedule has not been disclosed, but it is expected to be linked to aircraft deliveries. Finland has been operating AIM-120 AMRAAM family missiles for many years, they arm the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet multirole fighters as well as Kongsberg NASAMS air defense missile systems (locally designated ITO12). Unlike earlier variants, the AIM-120D-3 missiles are to be used exclusively by the F-35A Lightning II. This will provide the aircraft with the capability to engage aerial targets at ranges exceeding 140 km.
Finland will acquire its first batch of AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles, which are to serve as the primary armament of the F-35A Lightning II. Photo: USAF
The RTX AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles represent a new generation of a weapon system that has been produced and developed for many years. For political reasons, authorization to purchase them is granted only to selected customers; these include Poland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Denmark. According to the manufacturer, the AIM-120D-3 is classified as a fifth-generation AIM-120 variant, incorporating new technical solutions resulting from the F3R (Form, Fit, Function Refresh) program. This includes more than fifteen changes across individual onboard systems.
Due to the global situation and a growing number of contracts, RTX has been steadily increasing its production rate since 2024 in order to meet customer demand. According to plans for the current year, deliveries are expected to be twice the 2024 level, with further increases of approximately 50% annually anticipated in subsequent years.
