OVERVIEW: The AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget, active radar-guided air-to-air missile, introduced under the P3I Phase 2 program with extended range and improved electronic counter-countermeasures.

DETAILS: The AIM-120C-5 was the second and final missile developed under the P3I.2 effort. with an 18–20 kg blast-fragmentation warhead, It retained the clipped-fin design of earlier C-models for internal carriage compatibility with stealth aircraft like the F-22. The most notable physical upgrade was the adoption of the WPU-16/B “large-grain” solid-propellant rocket motor, which was approximately 12 cm longer than previous motors and significantly increased the missile's kinematic performance. It also included a shortened WCU-28/B control section to accommodate the longer motor. Internally, it carried forward the modular electronics, WGU-44/B seeker, and advanced ECCM software from previous variants, enabling better survivability in jamming environments.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Guidance: Inertial with mid-course datalink; active radar terminal homing
Warhead: 18–20 kg WDU-41/B blast-fragmentation with 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, Typhoon, Gripen, others

Range: ~56nm (105 km) (approximate, depending on launch conditions)
Speed: ~Mach 4
Maneuverability: ~40 G

NOTES:
IOC: ~2003
Operators: United States, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Norway, Poland, Israel, Finland, United Kingdom, and others
Fact: The AIM-120C-5 marked a significant step forward in range and lethality, becoming the most widely exported and fielded AMRAAM variant during the 2000s.

SOURCES:
UNCLASSIFIED Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) 2014; Raytheon - AMRAAM Datasheet (Archived); Official United States Air Force Website; Federation of American Scientists; SIPRI Arms Transfers Database; Jane's Air-Launched Weapons (subscription); Army Recognition Group Magazine; deagel.com; en.missilery.info