Arming Ukrainian Fighters With AIM-120 Missiles Is A Complex Proposition

March 10, 2023

The Drive:

The U.S. military is reportedly exploring the possibility of integrating AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, onto at least some of the Soviet-designed MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets in Ukraine’s inventory. There are serious caveats to this proposition, but it would, if feasible, give the Ukrainian Air Force a new beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability in the form of a highly-capable missile posing a major threat to Russian airpower venturing within its range. In addition, Ukraine’s military has already been receiving AIM-120s for use as surface-to-air missiles and would able to leverage the existing supply chains for those weapons, which The War Zone has previously highlighted the immense value of.

Politico was the first to report on the possibility of AMRAAM eventually appearing under the wings of Ukrainian MiG-29s. The outlet cited two unnamed Department of Defense officials and a third anonymous person involved in this effort. The story also said that the Pentagon declined to comment directly in any way on this supposed initiative.

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