The U.S. Department of War announced the agreement on September 28, with full funding committed from the federal budget at signing. Work will take place in the United States, Canada, Switzerland and Germany and is scheduled for completion by February 2030.
The contract covers engineering work to identify additional certified suppliers of missile components, according to the department. The scope includes cooling systems, connectors, wiring harnesses, warhead components and elements of the detector system.
The AIM-9X is a primary short-range weapon for numerous combat aircraft types. Its role has expanded to ground-based air defense systems, including systems purchased for the U.S. Army.
More than 10,000 AIM-9X missiles have been produced, and the weapon is fielded by 36 countries, including Poland. The planned increase to 2,500 missiles a year reflects demand across its international customer base.
The missile first saw combat use in June 2017. It has since been employed repeatedly in combat operations, including in Ukraine.
