OVERVIEW: The AIM-120C AMRAAM P3I Phase 1 is a beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget, active radar-guided air-to-air missile.

DETAILS: Part of the Pre-Planned Product Improvement (P3I) Phase 1, with a 23 kg blast-fragmentation warhead, the AIM-120C marked the third major evolution in the AMRAAM series. The main change from earlier models was the redesign of the missile’s fins and control surfaces specifically clipped wings and fins to allow internal storage in stealth aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor. It retained the WPU-6/B solid-fuel rocket motor and WDU-33/B warhead, but included enhancements in its guidance section, notably the WGU-44/B, which provided improved electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) and better target discrimination in dense threat environments.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Guidance: Inertial + mid-course datalink, active radar terminal homing (WGU-44/B)
Warhead: 23 kg high-explosive blast-fragmentation (WDU-33/B)
Length: 3.66 m
Diameter: 178 mm
Wingspan: ~0.45 m (clipped for internal carriage)
Weight: ~158 kg
Platforms: F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, and others

Range: ~27 nm (50 km) (approx, varies with altitude and launch speed)
Speed: ~Mach 4
Maneuverability: ~40 G

NOTES:
IOC: ~1999
Operators: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Norway, Greece, Denmark, South Korea, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, Singapore, and others
Interesting Fact: The AIM-120C was the first AMRAAM variant designed specifically with stealth platform integration in mind, optimizing its form factor for internal weapons bays.

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