Japan Legacy Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
AAM-3
Japanese short-range infrared-homing air-to-air missile developed to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder on JASDF fighters.
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05
15
km range
15
kg warhead
💲 ≈ $120,000, Estimated $90,000-150,000 per unit (Wikipedia)
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Japan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
Status: legacy.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 15 km |
|---|
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 15 kg |
|---|---|
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | High-explosive fragmentation with directional warhead |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Infrared seeker, Proximity fuse |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 3.1 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 0.13 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 91 kg |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Solid-fuel rocket |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $120,000 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.
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Boeing AGM-86 ALCM Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries AAM-3? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries AAM-3 has a maximum range of 15 km.
How much does the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries AAM-3 weigh? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries AAM-3 has a combat weight of 91 kg.
How much does the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries AAM-3 cost? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries AAM-3 has an approximate unit cost of 120,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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