A longer range, higher altitude Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile for ground-based air defense is under development by Raytheon.

The AMRAAM-ER will be integrated into the NASAMS launcher, the most commonly used short- and medium-range air defense system in NATO, Raytheon said.

"With AMRAAM-ER, Raytheon is rewriting the book on ground-based air defense," said Mike Jarrett, Raytheon vice president of Air Warfare Systems. "The new missile will be even faster and more maneuverable than the current AMRAAM.

"By leveraging many existing AMRAAM components, Raytheon can deliver AMRAAM-ER quickly and affordably with very low risk."

AMRAAM, which first came into service in 1991, can be used in both air-to-air and surface-launch scenarios. Some 36 countries use the missile, which has been integrated on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, Harrier, F-4 and the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

The missile is also the baseline missile for the NATO-approved National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.

Raytheon, which said it plans flight testing of the AMRAAM-ER this year, announced its project at an international defense exhibition in the United Arab Emirates.