Australia reinforces UAE air defense with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles to counter Iranian drones.

Australia announced the transfer of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates as Iranian missile and drone attacks expand across the Middle East.

Australia announced the transfer of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates as Iranian missile and drone attacks expand across the Middle East. The country will also deploy an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to support the Gulf airspace monitoring. The Australian government presented these measures as defensive assistance, without involvement in offensive operations against Iran.
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The newest AMRAAM variant ordered by Australia is the AIM-120D-3, a hardware-refresh version with a longer engagement range that is intended for the RAAF’s F-35A Lightning II, F/A-18F Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler jets. (Picture source: Australian MoD)

On March 10, 2026, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia would provide AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) to the United Arab Emirates as part of defensive military assistance due to the ongoing escalation of Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Middle East. Iranian reprisal strikes have expanded across twelve countries in the region, with the United Arab Emirates intercepting more than 1,500 rockets and drones since the start of the war. The Australian government emphasized that its priority remains the safety of Australians in the region, including about 115,000 Australians living across the Middle East and roughly 24,000 in the UAE.

Canberra clarified that the assistance is defensive and does not involve offensive operations against Iran or the deployment of Australian ground forces inside Iranian territory. The missile transfer accompanies the deployment of an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft and supporting Australian Defence Force personnel for an initial four-week mission aimed at monitoring airspace over the Gulf and supporting collective self-defence by regional states. The missile involved in the transfer is the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), a radar-guided interceptor developed by the United States for beyond visual range aerial combat.

The AMRAAM missile entered operational service in September 1991 and replaced the earlier AIM-7 Sparrow in most Western fighter jet inventories. The AMRAAM is designed for day and night engagements and can operate in all weather conditions, as its guidance combines inertial navigation during the initial phase with terminal active radar homing, enabling the missile to lock onto and track a target independently after launch. This fire-and-forget capability allows the launching aircraft to disengage or attack additional targets without maintaining radar illumination. The missile can also receive mid-course updates through a data link if the launching aircraft continues to track the target during flight.

Australia operates multiple generations of AMRAAM simultaneously, from the AIM-120B (largely retired) to the newest AIM-120D-3, as well as the AIM-120C-5, AIM-120C-7, and AIM-120C-8. The AIM-120C variants weigh about 161.5 kg and measure 3.65 m in length with a diameter of 178 mm and a wingspan of 484 mm. The missile carries a high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead weighing about 20 kg and uses a solid-fuel rocket motor for propulsion. Maximum speed reaches roughly Mach 4, equivalent to about 1,372 m per second. The AIM-120A and AIM-120B variants have an operational range of about 75 km, while the AIM-120C extends the engagement envelope to roughly 90 km. Later variants, such as the AIM-120D, extend the range to between 130 km and 160 km depending on launch conditions.

Control surfaces located at the front and rear of the missile allow maneuvering loads up to about 40G, enabling interception of maneuvering aircraft at high speed. The guidance sequence of the AMRAAM is structured in two main phases designed to maximize interception probability. Before launch, the aircraft radar or other sensors transmit the target’s position, direction, and speed to the missile. Once launched, the missile follows an interception trajectory using its onboard inertial navigation system. If available, mid-course data link updates from the launching aircraft or another sensor platform adjust the trajectory to compensate for target maneuvers.

When the missile approaches the predicted target location, its onboard radar seeker activates and autonomously searches within a defined field of view to acquire the aircraft. Once locked, the missile guides itself to intercept using active radar tracking until detonation through a proximity or impact fuse. The AMRAAM incorporates additional electronic warfare resistance mechanisms to maintain effectiveness in contested environments. One of these is a home-on-jamming capability that allows the missile to track the source of electronic interference emitted by the target aircraft. If radar jamming disrupts the active seeker, the missile can shift to passive guidance and home on the jamming signal itself.

The missile also supports different launch modes, including radar-slaved engagements and a visual mode in which it locks onto the first detectable target after launch. The combination of active radar homing, mid-course guidance updates, and electronic counter-countermeasure capability allows engagement of multiple targets in complex air combat scenarios. The AMRAAM family evolved through multiple variants to improve range, maneuverability, and electronic systems. Early models included the AIM-120A and AIM-120B, followed by the AIM-120C, which introduced smaller control surfaces to allow internal carriage in stealth aircraft such as the F-22.

Subsequent upgrades in the C-series improved seeker performance, fuze reliability, and maneuvering capability. The AIM-120D introduced GPS-enhanced navigation, a two-way data link, expanded off-boresight capability, and a significantly larger no-escape zone against maneuvering targets. Later modernization programs incorporated updated circuit boards and digital processing systems through the Form-Fit-Function Refresh architecture, which enables future software upgrades and extends the missile’s operational lifespan. The missile is integrated on numerous fighter aircraft, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, Eurofighter Typhoon, and F-35 Lightning II, and it is also used in ground-based air defence systems such as NASAMS.

The United Arab Emirates Air Force operates several fighter jets capable of carrying the missile, including F-16 Block 60 and Mirage 2000-9E, within a fleet of about 560 aircraft supported by roughly 4,000 personnel. In addition to fighters, the UAE Air Force operates surveillance aircraft, aerial refueling tankers, transport aircraft, and helicopters across multiple air bases, including Al Dhafra. By supplying AMRAAM missiles to the UAE, Australia is reinforcing the air-to-air interception capacity of a regional air force already equipped with compatible fighters during a period marked by sustained missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.