The effective range of AMRAAM-ER missiles can reach 50 kilometers. There are 462 missiles in my NASAMS procurement project.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon, the manufacturer, an "Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER)" contract to expand the preparatory work for mass production of this missile, and noted that the contract involves arms sales to countries such as Taiwan, Hungary, and the Netherlands. (Picture taken from X@SMmiliitary)

[Reporter Luo Tianbin/Reporting from Taipei] Our country’s air defense capabilities have ushered in a major upgrade across generations! my country is purchasing 12 sets of the "National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System" (NASAMS) from the United States and has confirmed that all supporting ammunition will be included. The most eye-catching focus is the acquisition of AMRAAM-ER extended-range missiles with an effective range of 50 kilometers. The first phase of the missiles is 123 missiles. The exact number of the second phase has yet to be announced by the United States. We hope to purchase a total of 462 missiles in the two phases, which will become the latest weapon to protect Taiwan's key infrastructure and counter mid- and low-altitude threats.

The biggest highlight of the AMRAAM-ER missile purchased by our country is that it has an effective interception range of up to 50 kilometers, and the maximum firing height has also been increased to about 25 kilometers. Compared with the AIM-120C7 missile launched by NASAMS in the past, its range has been significantly increased by 50%. Compared with the current Army field anti-aircraft missiles of the Chinese Army, it is completely superior. The range of AMRAAM-ER is more than three times that of the current "Lu She Jian II" and more than 10 times that of the "Stinger Missile" of the Avengers system. It is equipped with active radar guidance and data link. Even if the target is blocked by a hill or building, it can conduct "non-linear engagement" in which it fires without sight.

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NASAMS has been put into the battlefield in Ukraine. The Norwegian military has stated that as of February 2025, NASAMS has completed about 900 successful interceptions in Ukraine, with a hit rate of 94%, of which nearly 60% were cruise missiles. (Picture: taken from Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace website)

Military officials pointed out today that the U.S. Air Force had awarded Raytheon, the manufacturer, an "Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER)" contract in April this year to expand the preparatory work for mass production of this missile. They also noted that the contract involves arms sales to countries such as Taiwan, Hungary, and the Netherlands. The U.S. Air Force will complete the production contract negotiation process as soon as possible to accelerate subsequent production schedules.

It is understood that in the overall deployment of NASAMS, the Air Force anti-aircraft missile battalion will adopt a decentralized mesh strategy of "control in the center and firepower on all sides." A standard NASAMS system includes three six-unit launch vehicles. If all 12 systems in Taiwan have their missiles "set up and loaded" at the same time, they can load 216 missiles at one time. The 462 AMRAAM-ER missiles purchased are exactly about 2.1 times the total loading capacity. This means that 216 of the missiles will be on standby in the first echelon for combat at any time, and the remaining 246 missiles will be used as combat-ready missiles and stored in explosive-resistant bomb depots. Once consumed in the first wave of firefights, they can be immediately transported out for reloading.

NASAMS can use AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, extended-range AMRAAM-ER and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, and choose different weapons to engage according to the type of target. Each user will separately use rapid artillery and cannon systems responsible for short-range air defense to specifically deal with small drones and other targets to avoid excessive consumption of expensive missiles.

NASAMS has also been deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine. The Norwegian military has stated that as of February 2025, NASAMS has completed about 900 successful interceptions in Ukraine, with a hit rate of 94%, of which nearly 60% were cruise missiles.