American AIM-series missiles have been in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine for several years. They are successfully used on F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and from ground-based air defense systems such as NASAMS.
The most suitable targets for these missiles are helicopters, jet-powered UAVs, and cruise missiles, as per Ukraine's Defense Ministry.
Three main types of AIM missiles used by aviation units
The Ministry of Defense notes that there are around a dozen AIM missile variants today, but Ukraine actively employs three key types:
- AIM-9 Sidewinder — a short-range missile against helicopters and drones; length 3 m, weight 90 kg, warhead 9 kg; speed up to 3,000 km/h; range up to 35 km; infrared guidance with proximity fuze.
- AIM-120 AMRAAM — a medium-range missile with active radar guidance (“fire-and-forget”); effective against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and jet-powered drones; speed up to 4,900 km/h; base range up to 75 km, up to 180 km in modernized versions.
- AIM-7 Sparrow — the largest of the three; semi-active radar guidance; weight 230 kg, warhead 39 kg; speed up to 4,900 km/h; engagement range up to 70 km; effective against helicopters, aircraft, cruise missiles, and jet-powered drones.
Resistance to EW and the "fire-and-forget" principle
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense emphasizes that AIM-series missiles demonstrate high effectiveness thanks to the combination of different guidance types, maneuverability, resistance to electronic warfare, and continuous modernization.
This enables effective employment both by aviation and within ground-based air defense systems against a wide range of aerial threats.
In 2025, Norwegian defense company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace announced plans to manufacture missiles for the NASAMS air defense system in Ukraine. Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, said that Ukrainian-made interceptors in the system will make it more effective and significantly cheaper.
