The brand new AIM-260 JATM was photographed throughout a take a look at flight out of Eglin Air Pressure Base, providing the primary public take a look at the extremely secretive air-to-air missile.
After years of ready, it seems we have now a primary take a look at the secretive AIM-260A Joint Superior Tactical Missile (JATM) which is being developed as a successor to the AIM-120 Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The weapon, notably a reside instance as denoted by the crimson and yellow bands, was loaded on one of many two fuselage hardpoints often reserved to the AIM-120 or concentrating on pods, as pictures taken by Jonathan Tweedy at Eglin Air Pressure Base on Might 13, 2026 present.
The plane departed as a part of a flight involving 4 different Navy take a look at plane: one VX-9 E/A-18G Growler, one further VX-31 F/A-18F, and a VX-9 F/A-18F. Their departure was at roughly 11:13 AM CST, and so they returned to Eglin roughly an hour later after working within the Gulf take a look at airspace.
“I clearly can’t affirm the precise nature of the mission or whether or not the missile was fired, however primarily based on the configuration, markings, and the reside spherical indicators, I consider they could have at minimal been conducting separation-related testing,” Tweedy instructed us in an e mail. “Upon their return and primarily based off of what was heard on their arrival communications the plane had offloaded the missile throughout the flight!”
Curiously, the Tyndall primarily based E-9A Widget (a surveillance platform whose function is to make sure the Gulf of Mexico waters are away from civilian boaters and plane throughout reside missile launches and different hazardous army actions) was additionally airborne over the Gulf on the time of their mission.
As we reported some weeks in the past, the Northrop Grumman’s CRJ-700 take a look at mattress modified with a peculiar “pointy” nostril bearing a hanging resemblance to the AIM-260 had been noticed throughout testing at Eglin Air Pressure Base, Florida. For 3 consecutive days, on Mar. 24, 25 and 26, this plane, carrying the U.S. license plate N806X and sometimes working utilizing the radio callsign “SCAN 06”, and the Raytheon’s Boeing 727, with registration N289MT and radio callsign “VOODOO 1,” carried out concurrent missions over the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).
SCAN 06 is among the three closely modified CRJ700s owned by Northrop Grumman, used to check sensors and communication programs earlier than they’re built-in into frontline fight plane, and was modified final yr with the brand new missile nostril. Due to this, the plane is believed to be concerned within the improvement of the AIM-260.
The newest pictures of the AIM-260 carried by the Tremendous Hornet present the weapon as being similar to the rendering launched final yr by the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Air Pressure later confirmed that the rendering mirrored the weapon’s precise design and was not a placeholder.
The render was additionally virtually an identical in form to an unknown missile depicted in a render from 2022 which confirmed three F-22A Raptors with new pods and gasoline tanks, with one jet firing a brand new missile. In keeping with the few identified particulars, the AIM-260 ought to have a measurement and type issue comparable with the AIM-120, with the brand new photograph apparently offering a affirmation of this side.
A side that instantly catches the attention is the dearth of the mid-body management surfaces that are current on the AIM-120, that are sometimes used for enhanced aerodynamic stability and maneuverability. 4 trapezoidal management surfaces will also be seen on the rear of the missile, that are fairly much like these of the AIM-120.
The markings seem to point out a a lot bigger rocket motor part in comparison with the AIM-120. That will be in step with the for much longer vary anticipated from the AIM-260, with a minimal threshold vary reportedly set at 100 miles (190 km), and a rumored new strong rocket motor to acquire the longer vary.
Final month, the U.S. Air Pressure and Navy revealed plans to spend roughly $15.6 billion on improvement and manufacturing of the AIM-260 within the subsequent few years. Final yr, the 2 providers publicly requested funding for the primary time, and now are rising from the $894 million requested for 2026 to $2.9 billion for 2027.
AIM-260 JATM
The existence of the AIM-260 Joint Superior Tactical Missile was first revealed in 2019 by the Air Pressure, who’s collectively growing the missile with the Navy. Nevertheless, it was additionally revealed that this system had been ongoing for greater than two years in 2019, which means this system might need began in 2017 or earlier.
The AIM-260 is meant to function the first long-range air-to-air weapon of each the U.S. Air Pressure and U.S. Navy within the coming years, changing into the successor to the AIM-120 Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The latter will proceed to be developed, complementing the AIM-260.
The brand new missile will likely be suitable with the AMRAAM (Superior Medium Vary Air-to-Air Missile) dimensions, however with larger vary, and is deliberate to be carried within the F-22 weapons bay and on the F/A-18 at first, with the F-35 to comply with. The AIM-260 can also be anticipated to be built-in on the U.S. Air Pressure’s upcoming unmanned Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA).
The missile is being developed and produced by Lockheed Martin. When the weapon was first unveiled, reviews talked about that AIM-260 manufacturing would overtake AIM-120 manufacturing by 2026, nevertheless, with this system’s particulars being extremely labeled and the latest boosts within the AMRAAM’s manufacturing, it’s unclear if this purpose nonetheless stands.
Initially, it was mentioned the AIM-260 was additionally meant to counter the menace posed by the Chinese language PL-15 and PL-17 missiles. The army actually mentioned the purpose was to keep away from international threats having the ability to outrange the AIM-120.
The mission is a sophisticated state, with official saying in 2019 that flight checks would begin in 2021 and Preliminary Operational Functionality was anticipated in 2022, though the present timeline is unknown. Paperwork later confirmed that flight testing of the AIM-260 started as early as 2020.
Particular because of Jonathan Tweedy for sending us his photographs and permitting us to share them with our readers. Ensure you comply with him on Instagram right here for extra of his aviation pictures.
