Ukraine’s Air Force spox comments on AMRAAM missile capabilities

This was stated by the spokesman for the Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, Ukrinform reports.

"Certain modifications of AMRAAM missiles are being ordered by the Pentagon for Ukraine so that they can cover a distance of 160-180 kilometers. This is more than enough to hit Russian warplanes without entering the enemy's air defense zone. The farther, the safer it is for our pilots, and the more dangerous it is for our enemy," Ihnat said.

He added that Ukraine will soon be getting the missiles already in stock so the new versions will be available for the next batch to be delivered in November 2024.

"Weapons and aircraft are completely different things. They must first be manufactured before they can be delivered. Aviation shouldn’t fly without payload so the stock of missiles needs to constantly be replenished. There is nothing strange about such orders and contracts," emphasized the spokesman for the Air Force.

Ihnat explained that AMRAAM is an air-to-air missile with an active homing warhead, most commonly used by NATO air forces. They vary by their range of damage capacity.

According to the spokesman, these missiles are already provided to Ukraine for the NASAMS air defense systems, which also uses the AIM-120 missile. Since the early days of the attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure last fall, these missiles have been launched by NASAMS.

He noted that when launched from aerial platforms, these missiles have a longer range.

In addition, such a missile will be used to destroy all types of air targets, except for ballistic missiles.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered the production of advanced AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles from Raytheon specifically for Ukraine.