United States Legacy Raytheon (RTX)
AIM-54 Phoenix
Long-range, active-radar-homing air-to-air missile developed for the US Navy F-14 Tomcat and exported to Iran for its F-14 fleet, retired from US service in 2004.
In service since 1974 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-05
190
km range
5
Mach
61
kg warhead
💲 ≈ $477,131, USD 477,131 per round in FY1974 dollars. Produced 1966 to 1993; retired from US Navy service in 2004.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 1974. 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.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 5 Mach |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 190 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 31,500 m |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 61 kg |
|---|---|
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | High-explosive blast-fragmentation |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Semi-active radar homing (mid-course), Active radar homing (terminal) |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 3.9 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 0.9 m |
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 0.38 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 460 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. | $477,131 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 2 |
Specifications compiled from public Raytheon (RTX) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
AIM-54 Phoenix vs
Meteor 
IRIS-T Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix has a maximum range of 190 km.
How much does the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix weigh? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix has a combat weight of 460 kg.
How many countries operate the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix cost? +
The Raytheon (RTX) AIM-54 Phoenix has an approximate unit cost of 477,131 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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