US Completes First Operational Test of AIM-9X Sidewinder Missile - Air Force

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2019) A US military exercise with F-15 and F-22 Raptor fighter jets marked the first operational test of the AIM-9X sidewinder, the Air Force said in a press release on Thursday.

"This exercise was the first employment of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, a technologically advanced version of its predecessor, the AIM-9," the release said. "The new system includes infrared-tracking, air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities, making it a better fit for fighter aircraft."

F-15 and F-22 weapons officers fired the missiles at a targets towed by other aircraft at Tyndall Air Force Base in the state of Florida.

Tyndall hosts the Defense Department's largest air-to-air live fire missile training range, the release said.

The 10 day exercise concluded on September 27, according to the release.

The manufacturer Raytheon designed the AIM-9X Sidewinder for easy installation on a wide range of modern aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, E/A-18G, F-22 and F-35 fighter, according to a company website.