A stealthy F-22 Raptor, carrying modified Amraam-derivative missiles, could accelerate into supersonic flight at 60,000 ft., zoom into a steep climb, and threaten almost any satellite in low Earth orbit, says a U.S. Air Force general. The attraction is that a fighter-carried missile, with roughly the same size, weight and center of gravity as the standard AIM-120, could deploy quickly for a last-minute intercept of a missile or space target. In fact, because it could be fitted to any aircraft or UAV that can carry the Amraam, the weapon might be more flexible and faster to deploy as well as being cheaper than a similar shot fired from an Aegis ship.
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