Air-to-Air Missile Missed Target in Test
WASHINGTON — The Air Force announced Tuesday that one of two AMRAAM air-to-air missiles fired during a test last month missed its target.
The service said in a brief statement that the test was conducted Feb. 22 when an F-15 Eagle jet fighter fired two of the missiles against two target drones flying over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
“One scored a direct hit against its assigned target drone,” the statement said. “The other missile did not intercept its target and analysis is continuing to determine the cause of the miss.”
The test brought to 45 the number of successful trials out of 54 missile firings conducted to date.
The AMRAAM--or advanced medium range air-to-air missile--is a so-called smart missile that has been under development since 1981. It is designed to use its own small radar to home in on enemy planes without having to be guided by a pilot.
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