OVERVIEW: The AIM-120B AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget, active radar-guided air-to-air missile..

DETAILS: The AIM-120B retained the same aerodynamic design and performance envelope as the AIM-120A but added a modular guidance section with a digital processor and reprogrammable software. This allowed the missile to be updated with new threat data and software enhancements without opening the guidance section, improving lifecycle efficiency and battlefield adaptability. with a 23 kg blast-fragmentation warhead, Its all-weather, active radar seeker enables autonomous terminal homing after mid-course guidance via inertial navigation and datalink. It remained a key medium-range missile in U.S. and allied inventories well into the 2010s.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Guidance: Inertial + mid-course datalink, active radar terminal homing
Warhead: 23 kg high-explosive blast-fragmentation (WDU-33/B)
Length: 3.66 m
Diameter: 178 mm
Wingspan: 0.64 m
Weight: ~158 kg
Platforms: F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-4, Gripen, and others

Range: ~27 nm (50 km) (aprox, varies with launch conditions)
Speed: ~Mach 4

NOTES:
IOC: ~1995
Operators: United States, Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Egypt, Netherlands, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Taiwan, Singapore, Poland, and others
Interesting Fact: The AIM-120B’s modular electronics made it the first AMRAAM variant to allow depot-level reprogramming, significantly streamlining upgrades and maintenance.

SOURCES:
UNCLASSIFIED Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) 2014; U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) budget documents and fact sheets; Raytheon – AMRAAM Datasheet (Archived); Official United States Air Force Website; SIPRI Arms Transfers Database; Federation of American Scientists (FAS); Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons (IHS Markit, subscription); RAND Corporation – Analysis of Air Combat Effectiveness Reports; Congressional Research Service (CRS); Army Recognition Group Magazine; deagel.com; en.missilery.info; 