The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, on behalf of the Swedish Armed Forces, has signed an agreement with the USA for the purchase of the Jaktrobot 99 AMRAAM and equipment for integration, evaluation, testing, and handling equipment. The coordinating body on the American side has been the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, DSCA, writes FMV in a press release.

In July, the U.S. Department of State approved a potential sale of up to 250 air-to-air missiles to Sweden valued at 605 million dollars, which Defence Sector News previously reported on.

The radar-guided missile now being procured is the latest version, with improved system performance. It also replaces the older missiles that Sweden sold to the USA for further donation to Ukraine, writes FMV.

During a press conference in August, when the government presented the thirteenth support package to Ukraine, the Minister of Defence announced that the government proposes to sell back the Jaktrobot 99 (Rb 99) to the USA. In a press release from the Ministry of Defence on the same day, it states that "the parliament also authorises the government to sell Rb 99 to the USA. The USA will in turn donate these missiles to Ukraine and offer Sweden the opportunity to purchase a more modern version of AMRAAM."

FMV writes that the procurement is conducted as Foreign Military Sales, which means that the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration purchases the equipment from the American government and DSCA, which has approved the sale of AMRAAM to Sweden up to a value of 605 million USD.

Lars Helmrich, head of the aviation and space material division at FMV, says that the agency appreciates the opportunity to purchase the missiles directly from the USA:

– In the current security policy situation and with the ongoing increase in Sweden's defence capability, the supply of additional ammunition to the combat aircraft is crucial. The fact that we are now acquiring more AMRAAM directly from the American government speeds up this process, for which we are grateful.