What is AMRAAM missile and why it's an important evidence against Pakistan

Air Vice Marshal Ravi Kapoor on Thursday in a joint press conference confirmed that India’s MiG-21 Bison shot down a Pakistani F-16.

He also displayed an AMRAAM missile casing used by F-16 as material evidence of their involvement. Electronic signatures and photographs were also recorded as further proof of the US made aircraft’s involvement.

Parts of AMRAAM, an air to air missile which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s, was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory.

Here is all you need to know about AMRAAM: 

The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a modern American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. 

Procured by 37 countries including the US, the combat-proven AMRAAM missile has been integrated onto the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado and Harrier. 

The AIM-120C5 and AIM-120C7 missiles are fully integrated onto the F-35 and support the US Marine Corp’s F-35B initial operational capability as the only air-to-air missile qualified on the F-35.

Designed with a 7-inch (180mm) diameter form-and-fit factor, and employing active transmit-receive radar guidance instead of semi-active receive-only radar guidance, it has the advantage of being a fire-and-forget weapon when compared to the previous generation Sparrow missiles. 

The AMRAAM is the world's most popular beyond-visual-range missile, and more than 14,000 have been produced for the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and 33 international customers. The AMRAAM has been used in several engagements and is credited with ten air-to-air kills.

In early 2006, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) ordered 500 AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM missiles as part of a $650 million F-16 ammunition deal to equip its F-16C/D Block 50/52+ and F-16A/B Block 15 MLU fighters. 

The PAF got the first three F-16C/D Block 50/52+ aircraft on July 3, 2010, and the first batch of AMRAAMs on July 26, 2010.