The US Navy has unveiled a new developmental air-to-air missile that can fit inside its F-35 stealth fighter jets and threaten enemy aircraft from over 280 miles away.
Through multiple lines of effort, the Pentagon is pushing for a greater air-to-air reach as China fields increasingly long-range missiles, some of which Pakistan used last year in a brief conflict with India.
The AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM), also known as the “Malice,” reflects an effort to close the gap. With a stated range of more than 250 nautical miles (288 miles), the munition can travel farther than known alternatives in the Navy’s arsenal.
The Navy said in a newly released fact sheet that the Malice is a “next-generation missile intended to strengthen fleet defense and maintain a decisive air domain overmatch against advanced threats.” It said the missile is built for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation aircraft.
The Navy published a photo over the weekend showing an AIM-424 missile mounted in the internal weapons bay of the fifth-generation F-35C fighter jet. Storing missiles inside allows the aircraft to maintain its stealth. Services can choose to sacrifice that, though, for a heavier weapons loadout with missiles mounted on the exterior hardpoints.
The Malice is developed by Raytheon, a subsidiary of the US defense contractor RTX. Weighing 1,500 pounds, the weapon is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor and has a blast-fragmentation warhead, meaning it can damage a target by detonating in proximity.
It’s unclear when the Malice will be put into service, but such a reach could prove advantageous for American airpower as the US military looks to counter China in the Western Pacific.
Navy F-35Cs and fourth-generation F/A-18 Super Hornet jets are able to fly with a proven arsenal of air-to-air missiles, including the popular short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder and medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM, which has been in service for more than three decades.
There’s also the AIM-174B Gunslinger, an air-launched version of the SM-6 surface-to-air missile, which is operational on Navy F/A-18 fighter jets. Its range is classified, but it is estimated to be more than 200 miles.
The military is also developing the AIM-260 JATM (Joint Advanced Tactical Missile), designed to compete with Chinese missiles such as the PL-15, which is believed to have a range exceeding 120 miles. The Department of Defense noted the PL-15 and China’s other beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, such as the newer PL-17, in its latest report on Chinese military capabilities.
It’s unclear where the new Malice will fall on the range spectrum, but the stated range is significant. The missile is noticeably larger than the AIM-120; however, it weighs less than the AIM-174B, according to the Navy.
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