The AIM-9 development program began in the late 1940Æs with the first operational flight of the AIM-9B in 1953. Considerable enhancements have been made throughout the years, with the most recent addition of enhanced flare rejection circuitry in the AIM-9M. The AIM-9X, expected to enter service around the year 2000, is expected to be an order of magnitude more capable than its most advanced predecessors, allowing over-the-shoulder target designation in conjunction with helmet-mounted target designation systems now in development. Normally, the F-22 carries two AIM-9M/X missiles, one in each side bay, although more could be carried in the central weapons bay and on external hardpoints.%n
