Future Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile Hughes UK Ltd is leading a European team, which includes HMSC as a major subcontractor, to provide the Royal Air Force with improved air superiority against future threats. The Hughes FMRAAM combines proven integral rocket liquid fuel ramjet technology, the next generation AMRAAM guidance section, and a state-of-the-art two-way asynchronous data link to produce the world's most effective Future Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. FMRAAM is evolved from the combat-proven AMRAAM, the international standard in air-to-air missiles. AMRAAM has been proven in more than 800 successful firings, including combat where it achieved 100 percent kills. The U.S. has invested more than $2 billion in continual improvements to AMRAAM, resulting in the very latest technologies, such as: launch-and-leave capability, allowing pilots to break away immediately after launch and seek other targets all-aspect, all-weather, look down, shoot down, beyond visual range capability virtually simultaneous multiple targeting and multiple launch highly effective ECCM An integral rocket liquid fuel ramjet engine gives FMRAAM combustion at all altitudes and high angles of attack and provides superior kinematic performance, including: higher average velocity greater fly-out range expanded no-escape zones lower smoke, which reduces the enemy's chances of sighting the launch and evading the missile capability for launch at lower speeds extreme agility at intercept Other advanced features provide pilots with more flexibility to attack difficult targets through the use of a state-of-the-art, two-way asynchronous datalink and third-party cueing and targeting. FMRAAM retains the AMRAAM aircraft interface and will require only minimal integration effort to be compatible with the 11 fighter aircraft on which AMRAAM is currently being integrated. FMRAAM can also take advantage of the AMRAAM logistics infrastructure already procured by 14 countries. The Hughes FMRAAM team brings together the world's experts in ramjets; guidance systems; international program management; missile electronics, control and actuation; and missile integration and test. In addition to HUKL and HMSC, team members include Aerospatiale Missiles, Fokker Special Products, Hughes Microelectronics Europa Ltd., Shorts Missile Systems Ltd. and Thomson-Thorn Missile Electronics. Back to Development Programs Return to HMSC main page