ISLAMABAD: The US Department of War has named Pakistan and Saudi Arabia among countries included in a new contract for the supply of US-made air-to-air missiles, while separately approving a deal to improve communications systems on Saudi fighter jets, according to an official statement released on its website.
In its Sept. 30 bulletin, the Department of War said it had awarded Raytheon Missiles & Defense a $41.68 million modification “to provide production support for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile,” a weapon designed to enable fighter aircraft to destroy enemy planes at long range.
The same announcement listed a wide range of US allies and partners receiving the system through the Foreign Military Sales program.
“This contract involves foreign military sales to United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkiye,” the Department of War statement read.
The release did not specify how many missiles each country would receive or when deliveries would begin, details that are typically disclosed later through government-to-government filings.
The contract funds ongoing production of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which is used by more than 40 countries. Pakistan employs the system on its F-16 fighter jets, while Saudi Arabia operates it on F-15 aircraft.
Pakistan’s defense ministry had not issued any public comment on the latest contract listings as of Tuesday.
In a separate notice, the Department of War announced a $24.17 million contract for technical support to upgrade Link-16, a secure tactical data network that enables Saudi F-15 pilots and command centers to share real-time information on targets and threats. The work will be carried out in Saudi Arabia and continue through March 2031, the department said.
Both awards reflect Washington’s continuing defense cooperation with partners in the Middle East and South Asia. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are regularly listed in such multi-nation programs, the Department of War rarely releases individual country breakdowns in initial contract statements.
The Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile has been a cornerstone of US and allied air defense for over three decades, capable of striking airborne targets at ranges exceeding 30 kilometers depending on the variant.
