- November 18, 2025
- 11:38 am
- Israel
Israel Upgraded an American Missile — and the Results Are Impressive
After a massive attack by Iran on Israel in the spring of 2024, it was the Shahed kamikaze drones that became the most challenging target for air defense. Their weak thermal signature and unconventional trajectory made interception a problem even for well-known systems.
Against this backdrop, Israeli engineers quietly upgraded the American missile AIM-9M Sidewinder. The upgrade did not affect the missile itself, but its “brains” — the seeker head. And the result was so successful that now in defense circles they say: this is one of the best available technologies against Shahed.
But this very success has led to a new problem: Israel does not share the upgrade with anyone — neither Ukraine nor even the USA.
This is stated in an analytical report by the American Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), which was analyzed by journalists from The War Zone.
Why the AIM-9M Became Such an Effective Weapon Against Drones
The AIM-9M missile, an air-to-air type developed in the USA in the first half of the 1980s, became one of the most mass-produced for F-16, F-15, F-18 fighters, and others. But it had a drawback: the standard IR seeker poorly detected targets like Shahed, especially at a distance.
Ukraine also actively uses it for interception
In the Israeli Air Force, a decision was made to make some changes to the seeker head of the AIM-9M missile, and this positively affected its effectiveness, according to the FPRI report.
All details of this modification are kept secret by Israel — even the fact of whether it was hardware or software or both, etc.: no details about the AIM-9M upgrade are reported.
In essence, Israel turned an old missile into a modern anti-drone tool — and did it quickly, without creating new weapons “from scratch.”
This is a typical Israeli approach: take an existing platform and bring it to a level that others are afraid to touch.
Can Ukraine Get Such an Upgrade?
Unfortunately, almost not.
Ukraine already uses the AIM-9M — that’s a fact. But only the basic version supplied by the USA is available. And the upgraded Israeli version:
is related to sensitive technologies,
is linked to countering Iran,
is not disclosed even to Washington,
is not present in export channels.
That is, Israel does not even discuss the transfer of the upgrade.
Israel has previously refused to share sensitive technologies with Ukraine due to complex relations with Russia and a security policy aimed at protecting its own interests in the Middle East.
Why Israel Has the Right to Modify an American Missile
Many are surprised: how can Israel upgrade American weapons?
In fact, this is normal:
Israel has been receiving Sidewinder missiles from the USA for decades.
It has powerful development centers in electronics, sensors, and software.
Most American supplies imply local adaptations for the Israeli army.
Israel does NOT create a new missile —
it enhances the IR seeker with its own technologies.
Therefore, there are no legal issues — but Israel is not obliged to export such an upgrade.
Why Ukraine Still Uses Similar Weapons — and Who Is the “Other Side”
When Ukrainian experts say that “both sides of the war use AIM-9-like missiles,” they mean the following:
Ukraine uses original AIM-9M missiles received from the USA.
Russia uses Soviet and Russian missiles R-3S, R-13, R-60, R-73, which originate from a copy of the American Sidewinder.
The USSR received a sample of the AIM-9B missile in 1958 when it got stuck in a Chinese plane and was handed over to Moscow. Based on the studied American missile, Soviet engineers created an analogue — and a whole line of subsequent models.
Therefore, technically both sides of the war use descendants of the same weapon — but in different generations and designs.
What This Means for Ukraine
It is vital for Ukraine to obtain:
more AIM-9M missiles,
launch platforms for them,
a transition to mobile SAM systems based on the Sidewinder,
and eventually — new generations of IR missiles.
But access to the Israeli upgrade is not a reality yet.
Israel will not reveal this development at a time when it faces threats from Iranian systems daily.
Nevertheless, the very fact that the AIM-9M can be “turned” into a Shahed killer is a positive signal. It shows that technologically Ukraine could theoretically also get improved versions in the future — if the USA or Europe create their own upgrade.
Main Conclusion
Israel has shown that even an old American missile can become the perfect weapon against Iranian drones — if the right technologies are invested in it.
Ukraine really needs such a weapon.
But for now, the secret will remain a secret, even for Israel’s allies.