2013 amraam

A i r F o r c e P r o G r A M S

AIM-120AMRAAM259

• AIM-120Doperationaltestingwassuspendedin2012afterdiscoveryofnewhardwareandsoftwareproblems.AftertheAirForcefixedtheproblems,theprogramresumedOT&EinMay2013.FOT&EisprogressinginaccordancewiththeDOT&E-approvedTEMPandtestplan.

• AQF-4dronecrashonJuly17,2013,furtherdelayedoperationaltestinguntilearlySeptember2013.

ActivityAIM-120D• TheAirForceadequatelyaddressedfixestofour

performanceandreliabilitydeficienciesthatprecludedAIM-120Dfromproceedingtooperationaltesting.TheyconductedanOperationalTestReadinessReviewinMay2012andcertifiedtheprogramtobeginoperationaltestinginJune2012.

softwarealgorithmstocounternewthreats.Theuseofsmallersystemcomponentscreatedroomforfuturegrowth.

• TheAMRAAMprogramperiodicallydevelopsandincorporatesphasedupgrades.TheAMRAAMEPIPisasoftwareupgradetoAIM-120C3-C7.

• TheAIM-120DiscurrentlyindevelopmentandtheAirForceintendsforittodeliverperformanceimprovementsbeyondtheAIM-120C7throughtheuseofaninternalGPS,anenhanceddatalink,andnewsoftware.FollowingFOT&E,thecontractorwilldevelopaSystemImprovementProgramthatwillconsistofsoftwareupgradestoAIM-120D.

Mission• TheAirForceandNavy,aswellasseveralforeignmilitaryforces,usevariousversionsoftheAIM-120AMRAAMtoshootdownenemyaircraft.

• AllU.S.fighteraircraftusetheAMRAAMastheprimarybeyond-visual-rangeair-to-airweapon.

Major Contractors• RaytheonMissileSystems–Tucson,Arizona• RocketMotorSubcontractors:

- AlliantTechsystems(ATK)–Arlington,Virginia- Nammo(NordicAmmunitionGroup)–Raufoss,Norway

Executive Summary• In2009,keystakeholders,includingtheProgramOfficeandDOT&E,suspendedtheprogressionofAIM-120Doperationaltestingduetofournewperformanceandreliabilitydeficiencies.Raytheonaddressedthefourdeficiencies,andDOT&EsignedtherevisedAIM-120DTestandEvaluationMasterPlan(TEMP)andseparate,detailedoperationaltestplanonMay25,2012.

• TheAirForcecompletedanOperationalTestReadinessReviewonMay31,2012,andcertifiedtheAIM-120DAdvancedMedium-RangeAir-to-AirMissile(AMRAAM)tobeginoperationaltestinginJune2012.AIM-120Doperationaltestingconsistsofmultiplelivemissileshotsandcaptive-carryevents.TheAirForceandNavyareprojectedtocompleteoperationaltestinginFY14.

• AIM-120Doperationaltestingwassuspendedin2012afterdiscoveryofhardwareandsoftwareproblems.Withsolutionstotheproblems,theprogramwasapprovedtorestartOT&EinMay2013.

• Duringoperationaltestingtodate,theAirForcehasaccomplishedmultipleAIM-120Dshotsandcaptivecarrymissions.

• TheAMRAAMElectronicProtectionImprovementProgram(EPIP),asoftwareupgradetoAIM-120C3-C7variants,iscurrentlyinintegratedtestingunderaseparateEPIPTEMPthatDOT&EapprovedinApril2012.

• TestingpreviouslyplannedtooccurinOctoberandNovember2013hasbeendelayedduetoshutdownoftheFederalGovernmentandthelackofaDefenseAppropriation.

System• TheAIM-120AMRAAMisaradar-guidedairto-airmissilewithcapabilityinboththebeyond-visual-rangeandwithin-visual-rangearenas.AsinglelaunchaircraftcanengagemultipletargetswithmultiplemissilessimultaneouslywhenusingAMRAAM.

• Thelatestfieldedversion,theAIM-120C7,incorporatedanupgradedantenna,receiver,signalprocessor,andnew

AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM)

A i r F o r c e P r o G r A M S

260AIM-120AMRAAM

• AIM-120Doperationaltestingconsistsofmultiplelivemissileshotsandcaptive-carryevents.TheServicesareprojectedtocompleteoperationaltestinginFY14.

• TestingpreviouslyplannedtooccurinOctober/ November2013hasbeendelayedduetoshutdownoftheFederalGovernmentandthelackofaDefenseAppropriation.

AMRAAM EPIP• DOT&EapprovedtheAMRAAMEPIPTEMPon

April 13, 2012,afterwhichintegratedtestingbegan.Lot Acceptance Test (LAT)/Rocket Motors• BeginninginDecember2011,rocketmotorLotAcceptance

Test(LAT)performancebecameunpredictableatlowtemperatures(-65degreesFahrenheit)duetopropellanthotspotsandcaseburn-throughfailures.ATK,thesubcontractorwhoproducestherocketmotors,isdevelopinganewpropellantwithprojectedavailabilityinFY16.

• TheProgramOfficesuspendedperformance-basedpaymentstoRaytheonandnegotiatedrestructuringoftheAMRAAMdeliveryscheduleafterdeliverydelaysreachedanunacceptablelevel.

• TheProgramOffice,Raytheon,andAMRAAMsafetycommunitiescoordinatedtocertifyNammotobeanapprovedalternativerocketmotorsupplier.AsofOctober2013,Nammohadmanufactured1,000motorsintheirroleasthesolesourceproviderfornewproductionmotors.

• TheProgramOfficehassuspendedperformance-basedpaymentstoATKuntilresolutionoftheshortageofrocketmotorsduetounacceptableLATperformance.

Assessment• TheAirForceoriginallyplannedforAIM-120Dtobeginoperationaltestingin2008;itisnowapproximatelyfouryearsbehindschedule.

• Sincethestartofoperationaltesting,theAirForcehasexecutedmultiplelivemissileshots.Captive-carryperformancehasexceededtheinterimMeanTimeBetweenFailurerequirementandisapproachingthematurerequirementof450hours.Thereareinsufficientdatatoquantifyfreeflightreliabilitywithconfidence.

• TheshortageinrocketmotorsduetounacceptableLATperformanceshouldnotsignificantlyaffectAIM-120Dtesting,butithascreatedabackloginproduction.AfterInsensitiveMunitionscertificationinOctober2012,NammobecametheonlyAIM-120DandAIM-120C7rocketmotorproducerfortheforeseeablefuture.ThegovernmentandRaytheonarestillreviewingapathforwardforATKproduction.

Recommendations• StatusofPreviousRecommendations.TheAirForcesatisfactorilyaddressedthepreviousrecommendations.

• FY13Recommendation.1. TheProgramOfficeshouldfinalizeandsubmitatest

strategyandAIM-120DTEMPannexforDOT&EreviewandapprovaltoensureSystemImprovementProgram1completionwithinoneyearafteroperationaltestingiscompleted.