WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Raytheon's AIM-9X air-to-air Sidewinder missile will be ready for deployment in November, US Air Force Strategic Plans and Requirements Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris said in a congressional testimony.
"The F-35's AIM-9X heat seeking missile capability will be delivered in November 2017," Harris told the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.
16 February 2017, 16:50 GMT
The AIM-9X Sidewinder missile is the first short-range, air-to-air missile to be used on the F-35 combat aircraft. The jet can carry up to two AIM-9X missiles on its wings.
By the end of 2018, the US Air Force will have two combat F-35A squadrons available for world-wide deployment, Harris noted.
The F-35 program has Navy, Air Force and Marine variants of the fifth generation aircraft. The program is the most expensive weapon system in the history of the Defense Department.
