U.S. Air Force and Navy Prepare to Equip Fighter Jets with Next-Gen AIM-260 Missiles

In a major push to enhance long-range aerial combat capabilities, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy are moving forward with plans to equip their frontline fighter jets with the next-generation AIM-260 air-to-air missile. This cutting-edge missile system, officially called the AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), is being developed by Lockheed Martin and is intended to eventually replace or complement the widely used AIM-120 AMRAAM.

According to the proposed 2026 U.S. defense budget, the Air Force has requested over $368 million and the Navy approximately $302 million for the purchase of AIM-260 missiles. In addition, both services are jointly investing another $687 million to continue the missile's development, production ramp-up, and integration across their air combat platforms.

The AIM-260 program is a response to growing global threats and the need to outmatch increasingly capable adversary systems, especially those fielded by near-peer competitors like China and Russia. One of the primary goals is to provide U.S. pilots with a superior long-range engagement option that can outperform enemy weapons like China’s PL-15 missile.

While exact technical specifications remain classified, available information indicates that the AIM-260 will be a high-speed, long-range missile capable of flying at speeds up to Mach 5. It will be equipped with an active radar homing seeker, giving it advanced target tracking and engagement capabilities. The missile will also feature a bidirectional data link, allowing it to receive mid-flight updates from the launch aircraft or other platforms, improving accuracy in dynamic combat scenarios.

An inertial navigation system (INS) is expected to guide the missile during the early phase of flight, before switching to radar homing in the terminal phase. These features will make the AIM-260 highly capable in beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements, where quick reaction time, extended reach, and precision are critical.

Though the exact range is classified, experts suggest it will far exceed that of the AIM-120D-3—the most advanced version of the current AMRAAM missile—allowing U.S. jets to strike from greater distances with improved survivability.

The missile is being designed to operate from a variety of platforms, including carrier-based aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and land-based fighters such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Its physical dimensions are being kept similar to the AIM-120 to allow seamless integration with internal weapons bays and existing launch systems.

The AIM-260 is seen as a critical tool for the U.S. military to maintain its air dominance in a rapidly evolving threat environment. With its advanced technology and extended reach, the missile will give U.S. pilots a decisive edge in future air battles—well before the enemy gets close enough to strike back. Deployment of the AIM-260 is expected to begin before the end of the decade.