The Pentagon has requested an almost threefold increase in purchases of AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for fiscal year 2027, according to newly released defense budget documents.
These figures show the U.S. military intends to acquire a total of 954 missiles—648 units valued at $419.2 million for the Air Force and 306 units worth $174.7 million for the Navy. This represents a dramatic escalation from fiscal year 2026, when combined requests across both services totaled just 319 missiles.
The Pentagon has consistently directed these weapons to Ukraine in recent years. During fiscal year 2024 alone, the U.S. Navy allocated an additional $129.2 million to purchase 271 Sidewinder missiles for its own inventory replenishment.
Under a long-term strategy extending through 2035, the Department of Defense plans to procure 6,309 missiles for the Air Force and 5,326 units for the Navy.
