First design studies for a replacement for the AAM-3 were made in the year 1991, the program was called XAAM-5. Just like earlier Japanese air-to-air missiles the AAM-5 was developed under a joint venture of Japan Defense Agency's (JDA) Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. First test launches began in the year 2001 by F-15 Eagle Fighters.