The AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM is a U.S.-built beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile variant with active radar homing and the narrower C-series airframe. AMRAAM entered U.S. service in September 1991, SIPRI recorded a 2003 export deal for 106 AIM-120C-5 missiles, and Pakistan Air Force F-16s were reported firing the type in the 2019 border clash.
ThePrint reported that Pakistan Air Force F-16s fired AIM-120C-5 missiles during the 27 February 2019 aerial engagement in the 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes, and Indian officials displayed alleged AMRAAM fragments as evidence.
Royal Saudi Air Force fighter jets were reported using AIM-120 missiles, and CSIS described Saudi AIM-120C missiles deployed from Saudi aircraft, to intercept Houthi UAV attacks during the 2014 Yemen Civil War; the sources do not identify the C-5 subvariant.
Official AMRAAM fact sheets list the missile across multiple U.S. fighter fleets, which makes the C-5 a platform-agnostic missile rather than a single-airframe special.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Multirole fighter aircraft | The Air Force fact sheet lists the F-15 family as AMRAAM-compatible. Sources: USAF AIM-120 AMRAAM fact sheet |
 | Multirole fighter | The Air Force fact sheet lists the F-16 as AMRAAM-compatible and says the F-16 payload includes AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, documenting the fighter as a carrier platform for the AMRAAM family that includes the AIM-120C-5. Sources: USAF AIM-120 AMRAAM fact sheet |
 | Stealth air-superiority fighter | The Air Force fact sheet lists the F-22 as AMRAAM-compatible and says the F-22 carries six AIM-120 AMRAAMs in air-to-air configuration, documenting it as a carrier for the AMRAAM family that includes the AIM-120C-5. Sources: USAF AIM-120 AMRAAM fact sheet |
 | Carrier fighter | The Navy fact file lists the F/A-18C/D/E/F/G as AMRAAM carriers. Sources: NAVAIR AMRAAM fact file |
 | Multirole strike fighter | NAVAIR lists AIM-120 AMRAAM among the Super Hornet's armament options, which is explicit compatibility for the AMRAAM family that includes the AIM-120C-5. Sources: NAVAIR AMRAAM fact file |
 | Carrier-capable electronic attack aircraft | The Navy's AMRAAM fact file identifies AIM-120 as a Navy and Marine Corps air-to-air missile family, and the Growler page explicitly lists it among the aircraft's carried stores. Sources: NAVAIR AMRAAM fact file |
 | STOVL stealth multirole fighter | NAVAIR's photo release says BF-2 flew with an AIM-120 in the starboard weapon bay during the first asymmetric weapons load test for the F-35B. Sources: Photo Release: First asymmetric weapons load test for F-35B |
The F-21 promotional video coverage shows the fighter carrying AMRAAM missiles on external racks.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Multirole fighter | Popular Mechanics reports that the F-21 promo video shows AIM-120 missiles on new racks, and TWZ says the same video showed three AIM-120s. Sources: Why There's a New American Fighter Called the F-21, TWZ Saudi AMRAAM use |
The C-5 is the export-facing AMRAAM variant most useful for quick comparison: it keeps the family’s active-radar concept, but the C-series body is narrower than the earlier A/B round.
| Topic | Source-backed detail | Reader value |
|---|---|---|
| C-series airframe | The Air Force fact sheet lists AIM-120C/D wingspan at 19 inches, versus 21 inches for AIM-120A/B. | Shows the compact form factor that distinguishes the C-series. |
| Service baseline | The Navy fact file dates AMRAAM deployment to September 1991. | Places the missile family in long-running operational service. |
| Export footprint | SIPRI recorded a 2003 deal worth $53 million for 106 AIM-120C-5 missiles for Greece and Sweden, with delivery by 2005. | Gives the variant a concrete early export benchmark. |
The Navy fact file dates AMRAAM's deployment to September 1991, establishing the family baseline for the C-5 variant.
Sources: NAVAIR AMRAAM fact file
SIPRI listed a 2003 deal worth $53 million for 106 AIM-120C-5 missiles for Greece and Sweden, with delivery by 2005.
Sources: SIPRI Yearbook 2004 AMRAAM transfers
ThePrint reported that Pakistan Air Force F-16s fired AIM-120C-5 missiles during the 2019 India-Pakistan border engagement.
Sources: ThePrint AMRAAM in February 2019
