Pakistan is set to receive AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) from the United States, signaling renewed defense cooperation between the two countries, according to recent media reports.
An arm contract recently notified by the United States Department of War formally lists Pakistan among the buyers of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. According to the DoW, Raytheon, the manufacturer of the AMRAAM, was awarded a modification of over USD 41.6 million on a previously awarded contract, based on a firm fixed price for the production of the C-8 and D-3 missile variants.
“This contract involves foreign military sales to 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, Isreal, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey,” the contract stated.
It further said the work order is likely to be completed by May 30, 2030.
Potential Upgrade for Pakistan’s F-16 Fleet
The number of missiles being delivered to Pakistan remains unclear; however, the development has triggered speculation about potential upgrades to the Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fleet. In the PAF fleet, the AMRAAM is compatible exclusively with the F-16 fighters, which it reportedly used to shoot down an Indian Air Force MiG-21 flown by Wing Commander Avinandan Vartaman in 2019.
Wow, the Trump admin is really treating India like trash. Pakistan likely to receive AIM-120 air-to-air missiles from the US, according to report. That said, it is a logical upgrade to US F-16s already in the PAF’s inventory.https://t.co/X4oi8eZBPU
— Derek J. Grossman (@DerekJGrossman) October 7, 2025
Notably, PAF Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu visited the U.S. State Department in July. According to the Defense Publications, the AIM-120 C-8 is the export version of the AIM-120D, the main AMRAAM variant in the U.S. service. The PAF currently operates the earlier CF variant, 500 of which were acquired alongside its latest Block 52 F-16s in 2010.
Improving U.S.-Pakistan Military Ties
The development comes amid the improving diplomatic and military ties between the USA and Pakistan, following the four-day military conflict between Pakistan and India in May. Pakistan had credited U.S. President Donald Trump for arranging a ceasefire and topped it by proposing his name for the Nobel Peace Prize. However, India has refuted any role played by U.S. President Donald Trump in defusing tensions.
U.S. AIM-120D Sales to Pakistan: Transforming PAF’s F-16 Edge and Shaping Regional Air Power 🇺🇸🇵🇰
In a quiet but historic move, Washington has officially added Pakistan as a customer for the AIM-120D AMRAAM, the most advanced version of America’s premier beyond-visual-range… pic.twitter.com/FHTKSWHaft
— Indus Sentinel Grid (@ISGofficial_) October 7, 2025
They argue that the ceasefire was brokered after direct talks between the Director General of Military Operations of the two militaries.
Pakistan’s Defense Modernization Strategy
Pakistan has been allegedly lobbying for new generation AMRAAMs for several years seeking in an effort to modernize its defense capabilities in line with regional developments. The agreement was reached reportedly after a series of high-level meetings in July when PAF Chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed visited Washington and had discussions with senior U.S. military and political officials.
Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had also recently held several meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and top defense officials, indicating that Pakistan-U.S. military relations had once again entered a phase of practical cooperation.
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According to the Inter-Services Public Relations Director General, Ref. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said that Pakistan’s military development strategy revolved around incorporating effective, efficient platforms in promoting domestic defense technologies. In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg, the ISPR chief had emphasized that Pakistan is open to acquiring advanced technologies from both Eastern and Western sources.
“Our military development strategy has always been to incorporate effective and efficient platforms and domestic Pakistani technology,” he said.
He further stated that Pakistan is “ready to acquire all kinds of technology, whether it is self-made or from the East and the West,” signalling Islamabad’s pragmatic stance on defense modernisation. Pakistan is currently using defence equipment from both the USA and China.
The newest version of AMRAAM is also compatible with all F-35 Joint Strike Fighter variants. In its air-to-air role, the missile quickly finds targets in challenging environments, while in the surface launch role.