OVERVIEW: The AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget, active radar-guided air-to-air missile, featuring major enhancements in guidance, range, and electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM).

DETAILS: the AIM-120C-7 marked a significant step forward in the AMRAAM family under the Phase 3 Increment 3 (P3I.3) effort. Key upgrades included enhanced guidance algorithms, a more advanced active radar seeker, and improved datalink functionality for more accurate mid-course updates. These changes allowed the missile to operate more effectively in high-electronic-warfare (EW) environments and extended its no-escape and engagement envelopes. With an 18–20 kg blast-fragmentation warhead, the C-7 maintained the clipped-fin design of the C-series, ensuring compatibility with internal bays of stealth fighters like the F-22 Raptor.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Guidance: Inertial + mid-course datalink; active radar terminal homing
Warhead: 18–20 kg WDU-41/B blast-fragmentation with FZU-49/B proximity/impact fuze
Length: 3.66 m
Diameter: 178 mm
Wingspan: ~0.45 m
Weight: ~162 kg
Platforms: F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, F-35 (external carriage), Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, Rafale (via NATO standard integration), and others

Range: ~65nm (120 km) (estimated; highly dependent on launch parameters)
Speed: ~Mach 4
Maneuverability: ~40 G

NOTES:
IOC: 2008
Operators: United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
Fact: The C-7 version was developed in part to address challenges posed by advanced enemy electronic warfare systems and agile air targets emerging in the early 21st century.
This version was widely exported and became the backbone of many allied air forces’ BVR capabilities, thanks to its performance, reliability, and integration with a broad range of Western and NATO-standard platforms.

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; RAND Corporation; Congressional Research Service (CRS); Army Recognition Group Magazine; deagel.com; en.missilery.info
