First F-35 AMRAAM Release.

What's the word Sidekick??? Is it still progressing as planned on the F-35C and what about the F-35A for the USAF and Export???

Posted here with excerpt below: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=53320&p=442203&hilit=sidekick#p442203

Lengthy F-35 Upgrade List To Transform Strike Fighter’s Future Role
20 Jul 2020 Steve Trimble

"...If the current schedule is maintained, the TR-3 and Block 4.2 upgrades arriving in Lot 15 aircraft will include more than improved computing power. Lockheed is modifying the internal weapons bay to enable the “sidekick” upgrade, which increases the Raytheon AIM-120 missile loadout by 50% to six missiles. As the Lockheed AIM-260 becomes available, the same loadout will become possible with a missile measuring the same length as the AIM-120 but with significantly more range.

The same modification also accommodates the dimensions of the Air Force’s new SiAW missile, which adds a new warhead to the Navy’s Advanced Antiradiation Guided Missile-Extended Range...."

Source: https://aviationweek.com/ad-week/length ... uture-role

Diagram: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/ ... 3-2020.pdf (8.5Mb)

The same modification also accommodates the dimensions of the Air Force’s new SiAW missile

Now that's an interesting little tid-bit. More than 2 AARGM-ER per F35? Makes for a bad day to be a red team GBAD operator...

The same modification also accommodates the dimensions of the Air Force’s new SiAW missile

Now that's an interesting little tid-bit. More than 2 AARGM-ER per F35? Makes for a bad day to be a red team GBAD operator...

I would say that's the case in 'beast mode' with two (2) internal AARGM-ER's and four (4) external AARGM-ER's, eh?

A comment from Raytheon back in 2016 on AIM-120 range:

Neil Jennings, AMRAAM's business development director at Raytheon Missile Systems told IHS Jane's:

"The AIM-120C-5 extended the range of the AIM-120B fairly significantly, by shortening the control actuation system in the back and adding fins to the back end of the rocket motor. That added pretty decent range capability when you go from AIM-120B to AIM-120C-5. The C-7 and the D share the same rocket motor, and the same form, fit, function, size, and control actuation system. And both the C-7 and D have the same rocket motor as the C-5. Throughout AMRAAM's development, there have been improvements into the flight profile of the missile to get to the target. These improvements have led to range increases as well, and the jump from the B to the C-7 was fairly significant. The D can fly slightly farther than the C-7, and the C-7 can fly farther than the C-5. But this range increase is in the order of low double-digit percentages."

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/thread ... 127/page-2

Here's another comment from the same article.

"A development of the earlier AIM-120C, AIM-120D (P3I Phase 4, formerly known as AIM-120C-8) retains the same PN G672798-1 Plus 5 solid propellant rocket motor of the AIM-120C-5 and C-7 variants. However, AIM-120D delivers significant improvement in no-escape envelope and high-angle off-boresight capabilities over earlier variants. The missile now incorporates GPS-aided navigation for improved mid-course guidance and a two-way datalink for greater control over the missile's end-game targeting. The AIM-120D also features revised guidance software to improve kinematic performance and overall effectiveness, and improved electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM)."