The US Navy and US Air Force's joint RaytheonAIM-9X Sidewinder programme passed a major milestone on 18 March with the first live test firing of the next generation air-to-air missile. The missile was launched from a US Navy Boeing F/A-18C fighter flying subsonic at 4,575m (15,000ft) operating from the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Centre.
This will be followed in the next three months by the first supersonic firing from a Boeing F-15 and first guided shot against a target drone.
Source: Flight International
