For its anticipated F-35 fleet, Germany is ordering air-to-air AMRAAM missiles in the latest AIM-120D-3 version. Its main distinction from previous versions is the increased range, which can reach up to 180 km, though it heavily depends on multiple parameters and the relative positioning of aircraft.
According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approval, 400 of these missiles will cost Berlin a ceiling amount of $1.23 billion. This is the maximum price, which could but does not necessarily be reduced. This means the price per AIM-120D-3 for Germany is $3.07 million.
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It's reasonable to compare this with the price DSCA set for Finland just two weeks earlier for the same AIM-120D-3 in a very similar quantity 405 missiles for $1.07 billion. That comes to $2.67 million per AIM-120D-3.
In comparison, Finland is paying only slightly more for the newest version than the Netherlands paid for the older AIM-120C-8. According to DSCA's recent approval for the Dutch, 570 missiles are offered at a unit price of $2.45 million.
In the same context, Poland received approval in March this year for 400 of the latest AIM-120D-3 for $1.33 billion $3.32 million per missile.
In all cases, the number of missiles, along with associated equipment and services, is roughly comparable, yet the price differences are significant. However, it should be emphasized that a definitive statement is only possible once firm contracts are signed and publicly disclosed.
Against this backdrop, it's worth mentioning that European countries have their own long-range air-to-air missile, the MBDA Meteor, which boasts a declared range of 200 km, thanks to its solid-fuel ramjet engine. Germany is already an operator of Meteor and conducted its first launch from an Eurofighter in December 2024, a process that paradoxically took three years.
Germanys Ministry of Defense recently placed another order. In November 2024, a purchase of Meteor missiles worth €521 million was approved. The batch size was not disclosed, but based on information about the overall order and previous batches, it is estimated at 270 missiles. This sets the current unit price for Meteor at €1.93 million, roughly $2.2 million.
Overall, this shows that Meteor is cheaper than the latest versions of the AIM-120. However, the long-range Meteor will only be available on the F-35 starting in the early 2030s.
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