Raytheon completes wind tunnel tests for extended range AMRAAM missile

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Test engineers at US defence firm Raytheon have successfully completed more than 1,700 wind tunnel tests on the company’s extended-range variant of the AMRAAM air-to-air missile.

The AMRAAM-ER (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile-Extended Range) missile is a ground-launched weapon that will intercept targets at longer distances and higher altitudes. The missile’s larger rocket motor and smarter flight control algorithms give it a boost in range.

The testing, which is a major step in the missile’s qualification for integration with the NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) surface-based missile system.

Kim Ernzen, Raytheon Air Warfare Systems vice president said, “During these tests, we put AMRAAM-ER through a full range of potential flight conditions to validate the missile’s future performance on the battlefield,”

“Raytheon is developing this missile to enhance ground-based air defense for our customers worldwide.”

The next step for the testing team is to analyze data from the wind tunnel test runs to verify and update the AMRAAM-ER missile’s aerodynamic models to maximize its performance.

NASAMS is made by Raytheon and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, and according to Raytheon is the most widely used short- and medium-range air defense system in NATO.

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Ben has worked as a journalist and editor, covering technology, engineering and industry for the last 20 years. Initially writing about subjects from nuclear submarines to autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies, he was editor of a leading UK-based engineering magazine before becoming editor of Aerospace Testing in 2017.

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