Go-Ahead to Produce AMRAAMs Reported

Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger has authorized the start of low-rate production for the AMRAAM air-to-air missile, getting the new weapon over a major hurdle, knowledgeable sources said Monday.

The decision, based on recommendations provided by the Defense Acquisition Board last week, is expected to be outlined in a formal directive within the next few days, said defense officials who asked not to be identified.

Weinberger is convinced the program remains on track despite congressional concerns about the adequacy of flight testing, and he does not want to order delays that could boost the program’s cost, added one source.

The Air Force has acknowledged its developmental test program for the missile is running some months behind schedule. But the service also says its test record has improved to 30 successes out of 35 trials and that the new missile remains an essential weapon for the 1990s.

180 Missiles Discussed

Weinberger’s decision will allow the Air Force to award contracts to two manufacturers for 180 so-called interim design AMRAAM missiles. Some of those missiles will be used for additional testing, while the remainder will be used to introduce the missile to the Air Force’s fighter wings in the fall of 1988.

The low-rate contracts will also set the stage for the Hughes Aircraft and the Raytheon Co. to gear up for full-scale production.

The AMRAAM--Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile--is a so-called smart missile that has been under development since 1981. While the Air Force is responsible for developing the new missile, the Navy plans to purchase the weapon as well.

As envisioned, a fighter pilot equipped with the 12-foot missile would use the radar on his plane to detect enemy aircraft at long distances. He could then “fire and forget” the AMRAAM toward the enemy plane, with the missile using its own small radar to home in on the enemy plane instead of having to be guided by the pilot.