U.S. Approves $103.9M Sale of Sidewinder Missiles to NATO

The United States has approved a possible $103.9 million sale of AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and related equipment to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), acting on behalf of Belgium, Italy, and Romania.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on August 27 that Congress had been notified of the proposed sale, which includes up to 96 AIM-9X Block II or Block II+ tactical missiles—Belgium (8), Italy (24), and Romania (64)—along with 12 tactical guidance units for Romania.

The package also covers missile containers, training equipment, spares, technical documentation, and U.S. government engineering and logistics support. RTX Corporation will serve as the principal contractor.

According to the DSCA, the deal will strengthen NATO’s ability to address current and emerging threats, particularly through the integration of the missiles into the alliance’s F-35 Lightning II fighter fleets.

The AIM-9X Block II, also referred to as AIM-9X-2, features several enhancements over the earlier Block I version, including a redesigned fuze, upgraded onboard processors, a datalink, and a modern optical detector system that provides additional capacity for future capabilities.