--- title: "F-22 Raptor Scores “Longest Known” AIM-120 AMRAAM Shot" description: "A U.S. Air Force [F-22 Raptor]() has achieved what is, according to missile manufacturer Raytheon, the longest known [AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile]() (AMRAAM) shot. Exactly how far away the fighter was from its target when it fired the radar-guided…" date: "2025-09-16" modified: "2025-09-16" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/f-22-raptor-scores-longest-known-aim-120-amraam-shot" categories: - "AIM-120 AMRAAM" - "Air" - "Air Force Munitions" - "Air Forces" - "Air-To-Air" - "F-22" - "Fighters" - "U.S. Air Force" --- # F-22 Raptor Scores “Longest Known” AIM-120 AMRAAM Shot ![A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor has achieved what is, according to missile manufacturer Raytheon, the longest known AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) shot. Exactly how far away the fighter was from its target when it fired the radar-guided is unclear, but the milestone points both to the continued development of the AMRAAM’s capabilities as well as the growing focus, across the U.S. military, on extended-range air-to-air missiles to keep pace with developments in China and Russia.]() *U. U.S. Air Force* A U.S. Air Force [F-22 Raptor]() has achieved what is, according to missile manufacturer Raytheon, the longest known [AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile]() (AMRAAM) shot. Exactly how far away the fighter was from its target when it fired the radar-guided weapon is unclear, but the milestone points both to the continued development of the AMRAAM’s capabilities as well as the growing focus, across the U.S. military, on extended-range air-to-air missiles to keep pace with developments in China and Russia. Raytheon, part of RTX, announced today that the record AMRAAM shot had been achieved during a series of tests in airspace near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in the fall of 2024. The tests, according to Raytheon, “demonstrated AMRAAM’s extended time-of-flight capability, proving the munition can significantly increase the lethality of fifth-generation aircraft.” ![]() *An inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). *Raytheon** The test was likely conducted somewhere over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where the vital Gulf Range Complex provides over 130,000 square miles of training airspace, allowing both large-scale air combat training and sustained flying at supersonic speeds. The version of the AMRAAM used was the F3R, developed for the U.S. Air Force. F3R stands for form, fit, function refresh, and is primarily intended to eke out more performance from the missile, as you can read more about [here](). This is important since, although its [AIM-260 successor approaches operational service](), the AMRAAM will remain [in widespread service for decades](). ***An earlier promotional video from Raytheon includes footage of a separation launch of the latest-generation AMRAAM F3R from a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet:*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykF8GaXGUyU The F3R program was developed for the existing AIM-120C-8 and [AIM-120D-3]() AMRAAMs, which already represent the ‘top of the line’ for these missiles. Of these, the D-model already offers some significant advantages, including a two-way datalink with third-party targeting capabilities. The test shot also points to continued efforts to enhance the F-22. There is already a significant effort underway [to add new capabilities]() to the Air Force’s small, but highly capable and much-in-demand Raptor fleet. There are a number of upgrades in progress to help keep the F-22 on the front line and relevant, potentially into the 2040s. These include [a new Infrared Defensive System (IRDS)](), as well as other additional [sensors and stealthy range-extending drop tanks](). ![]() *A slide highlighting recent F-22 program highlights and achievements that was presented by Lockheed Martin earlier this year. *Lockheed Martin** We have reached out to the Air Force and to Raytheon for more details of the F-22 shot, but even with the limited details so far, it makes an interesting contrast with a test announced in 2021, when an [F-15C Eagle]() destroyed a target drone out of [Tyndall Air Force Base]() in Florida. That earlier test was [described]() by the Air Force as “the longest known air-to-air missile shot to date.” ![]() *An F-15C fires an AIM-120C AMRAAM during a Combat Archer Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP) mission. *U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt Michael Ammons** The model of AMRAAM used in the Tyndall test was the latest AIM-120D. While it looks outwardly like one of the earlier AMRAAMs, the [D-model offers considerably more range](). While official performance figures are classified, it is generally assumed to be able to hit targets at a distance of between 75 and 100 miles. However, when it comes to practical usage, a wide range of factors impact a missile’s range, especially the energy and altitude state of the launching aircraft and the target. ![]() *Maintainers prepare AIM-120D AMRAAMs for carriage by F-15s during a mass aircraft generation exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan. *U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Peter Reft** In an F-22 context, longer-range air-to-air missile engagements benefit from the power of the launch aircraft’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which, in the case of the F-22, is an [AN/APG-77](). The Air Force in general is increasingly employing networking and third-party sensors to provide additional targeting data, including for engagements in which the launch aircraft doesn’t lock the target up itself, which can be advantageous. Meanwhile, ‘kill chain’ concepts are an important part of achieving air dominance at extended range, as you can read about in [this past post of ours](), and they also require longer-legged missiles to get the most out of them. When it comes to both of those milestone AMRAAM tests, it’s somewhat unclear how they compare to the longest-range *historic* U.S. Navy air-to-air missiles. As we have [reported in the past](), there’s evidence of at least two extremely long-range [AIM-54 Phoenix]() shots dating from the 1970s. One apparently involved a target drone downed at just over 126 miles after the missile was launched from an F-14A Tomcat. The other, [reportedly achieved]() during a training exercise in Iran in January 1979, saw an AIM-54 hit a target drone at a range of 132 miles. ![]() *An AIM-54 Phoenix destroys a QF-4 drone in 1983. *U.S. Navy** In terms of foreign designs, there are several *current* air-to-air missiles that should supposedly achieve maximum ranges that outstrip even these. Much of the U.S. military’s drive toward fielding longer-range air-to-air missiles comes from developments in China and Russia. In the past, the Air Force [has publicly said]() that the emergence of [the Chinese PL-15]() air-to-air missile is a key driver in developing longer-range weapons. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defense and security think tank [determines]() that the PL-15 out-ranges the AIM-120D. The PL-15 is already in widespread service, and China is also working on further-reaching weapons, including the much bigger [PL-17](), a very long-range missile that may well be intended primarily to target high-value assets, like tankers and airborne early warning aircraft. You can read more about this missile [here](). Then there is the missile currently dubbed [PL-16](), which appears to have been developed to allow the [Chinese J-20]() fighter to accommodate six longer-range missiles internally (as opposed to the four PL-15s currently carried). ![]() *A Chinese J-20 opens its weapons bays to show off full magazines of missiles, including long-range PL-15 weapons in the center. *via Chinese internet** While the actual ranges offered by Chinese and Russian air-to-air missiles are broadly unknown, Russia claims that its [R-37M]() (AA-13 Axehead), at least in its export form, can defeat “some types” of aerial targets at a range of up to 124 miles. This likely refers to only larger, less agile aircraft targets and is very much a “sales brochure figure,” with all the caveats that entail. Nevertheless, the R-37M has apparently achieved notable [long-range combat kills over Ukraine]() and is clearly a concern for NATO, too. ![]() *A Su-35S launches an R-37M missile. *Russian Ministry of Defense screencap** The Pentagon assesses that the threat will only grow. In the past, *TWZ* [has reported]() on how the Air Force expects that, by 2050, there will be counter-air missiles that can hit aircraft at ranges as great as 1,000 miles — a huge advance in anti-access capabilities compared to the distances air defense missiles can reach today. In the meantime, there are various very long-range air-to-air missile programs [known to have been in the works]() in the United States. The best known is the joint Air Force/Navy [AIM-260](), which will offer much greater range than the current AMRAAMs, as well as other new and improved capabilities, but will put these in a missile with similar dimensions to the AIM-120. https://twitter.com/ColbyBadhwar/status/1967973998588989619 In recent months, the U.S. Navy has introduced, at least on a limited level, an air-launched version of [the Standard Missile-6]() (SM-6) under [the AIM-174B]() designation. The range of this weapon is classified but [should be far in excess]() of that of the AIM-120D, probably at least double and perhaps even triple the range, against large targets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdKlPDfrxMo As for the AMRAAM, Raytheon is justifiably proud that this weapon has so far been integrated on 14 platforms in 43 countries and has completed more than 6,000 successful live fires. While the basic design of the missile is now old — it got its first kill [back in 1992]() — the long-range test involving an F-22 demonstrates that, even if it might be outmatched by newer designs, the AMRAAM still has a lot to offer, including in terms of further extending its reach. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()