Raytheon to Supply AMRAAM Missiles to Pakistan

Raytheon, a prominent US defense contractor, is set to provide Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Pakistan. This development follows a modification to an existing contract that added Islamabad to the list of recipients.

According to a statement released by the US Department of Defense concerning the US Air Force on September 30, Raytheon secured a $41.6 million modification, under a firm-fixed-price agreement, to a previously awarded contract. This modification pertains to the enhanced C8 and D3 AMRAAM variants and their production.

“The modification elevates the total cumulative face value of the contract from $2.4707 billion to $2.5124 billion. The work will be conducted in Tucson, Arizona, with an anticipated completion date of May 30, 2030,” the statement detailed.

“This contract encompasses foreign military sales to various countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey,” the statement further noted.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operates F-16 Falcons, which are compatible with these US-made missiles.

Notably, Pakistan was not initially included among the buyers in the original AMRAAM deal outlined in the May 7 contract.

In recent months, relations between Washington and Islamabad have seen improvement after intervention by the former US president in the armed conflict between Pakistan and India, which led to a ceasefire.

Following the intervention, the previous government had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Under a memorandum of understanding established with Pakistan in September, the US Strategic Minerals (USSM) is expected to invest approximately $500 million in Pakistan’s critical minerals sector. This investment aims to create mineral processing and development facilities within the country.

The partnership is intended to facilitate the immediate export of minerals like antimony, copper, gold, tungsten, and rare earth elements. Furthermore, it establishes a foundation for USSM to develop its proprietary poly-metallic refinery in Pakistan. This facility will be geared toward producing intermediate and finished goods to satisfy the increasing demands of the US market.

USSM, headquartered in Missouri, concentrates on the production and recycling of crucial minerals. These minerals have been identified by the United States Department of Energy as essential for various technologies associated with advanced manufacturing and energy production.

In a separate development, the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) entered into an MoU with Mota-Engil Group, with the intention of exploring long-term collaborations in the fields of engineering and construction. The global firm expressed interest in aligning with Pakistan’s infrastructure development objectives and expanding its footprint in West Asia through local job creation, technology transfer, and sustainable methods.

Moreover, Pakistan finalized a significant agreement with the US, securing a reduction in reciprocal tariffs from 29% to 19%.