Saturday, March 29, 2025
Washington, October 10, 2025 — The United States has firmly denied reports suggesting that Pakistan would receive AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, delivering a significant blow to Islamabad’s defense hopes.
The White House clarified that it has no plans to transfer AMRAAM missiles to Pakistan, despite media speculation. Earlier, The Express Tribune had reported that Pakistan was listed as a buyer in a U.S. Department of War (DoW) contract with Raytheon, the missile’s manufacturer.
The contract, valued at over $41.6 million under amendment FA8675-23-C-0037, included the production of AMRAAM C8 and D3 variants and appeared to mention Pakistan among foreign military sales recipients. The report claimed this pushed the overall contract value beyond $2.51 billion.
However, U.S. officials have now categorically stated that Pakistan is not part of this agreement, calling the claims “misleading and untrue.”
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) is considered one of the most advanced in its class.
Developed jointly by Hughes Aircraft Company and Raytheon.
Length: 366 cm (143.9 inches), Weight: 150.7 kg at launch.
Effective range: up to 20 miles, with supersonic speed.
Equipped with active radar guidance and inertial midcourse navigation.
Detonates only after hitting its target, making it highly lethal.
First deployed by the U.S. Air Force in 1991.
For Pakistan, the denial comes as a major setback. Islamabad has long sought to modernize its air-to-air missile capabilities to counterbalance India’s defense acquisitions. The Trump administration’s decision signals a tougher line on arms sales to Pakistan, consistent with its stance on limiting military aid due to concerns over terrorism and regional instability.
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to maintain its defense contracts with trusted allies, particularly in NATO and Asia-Pacific, while keeping sensitive weapons technology out of Pakistan’s reach.
