Spain’s Cabinet has authorized the procurement of AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for an estimated €114.426 million. The authorization will allow the acquisition to move forward, although the government has not specified the number of units, the delivery schedule or the platforms to which the weapons will be assigned.
According to the official statement, the authorization is intended to maintain the operational capabilities of the Spanish Air and Space Force and fulfill Spain’s national and international commitments. It does not mean the purchase has been completed or that the missiles have been delivered.
A missile for Spain’s fighter jets
Spain uses the AMRAAM family on its F/A-18 Hornets and Eurofighter Typhoons, as well as integrating it into the ground-based NASAMS air defense system. The documents released on the procurement do not specify whether the new AIM-120C-8 missiles will be allocated to fighter jets, air defense batteries or a combination of capabilities.
The AIM-120C-8, developed by U.S. company Raytheon, part of RTX, is designed to intercept targets beyond visual range. During flight, it combines inertial navigation with course updates; in the final phase, it activates its own radar seeker to locate and track the target. Exact range and speed figures are not published comprehensively or consistently for all launch profiles.
Raytheon says the variant includes upgrades to circuit cards, processors and other guidance-system components under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh program. The company and the U.S. Air Force completed the first flight test of this version in September 2023, launching it from an F-15C against an aerial target.
Background to the procurement
The new authorization follows a €26.2 million contract approved by the Cabinet in December 2024 to acquire AIM-120 missiles. That procurement was intended to replenish and sustain medium- and long-range air-to-air capabilities in line with levels established by the Air and Space Force Staff.
Spain is also included in a U.S. notification regarding a possible sale of up to 655 AIM-120C-8 or AMRAAM-ER missiles, together with equipment, spare parts and services, with an estimated value of $1.932 billion for the overall case. The available documentation does not confirm whether that operation and the €114.426 million procurement refer to the same acquisition.
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