By David Wichner

Arizona Daily Star

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.22.2009

Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems and the U.S. Air Force have successfully completed a second flight test of the AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder, the latest version of the widely used air-to-air missile, the company announced Monday.

An AIM-9X Block II missile fired by an Air Force F-15C fighter jet guided and passed within lethal range of a target drone, meeting all primary test objectives, Raytheon said.

The Nov. 20 test at Eglin Air Force Base test range in Galveston, Texas, was the second time the missile has been fired; the first test in November 2008 also was successful.

The infrared guided, heat-seeking AIM-9X Block II adds a "lock-on-after-launch" capability, a redesigned fuze and a one-way datalink capability to the AIM-9X Block I.