The U.S. Navy has provided a first look at the AIM-260A JATM, the next-generation air-to-air missile developed for the United States Armed Forces, in a NAVAIR portfolio overview.
The AIM-260A JATM, a Special Access Program (SAP) in development since 2017 to respond to adversary advancements in air-to-air missile technology, has finally broken cover in a rendering by PMA-259, the U.S. Navy’s Air-to-Air Missiles Program Office.
The design rendering was released in a slide deck published by NAVAIR outlining its portfolio of missiles developed for the U.S. Navy, including missiles like the AIM-174B, AIM-120D, and AIM-9X.
An illustration released by the Air Force in 2022 showed a similar missile being launched from an F-22 at a distance. NAVAIR’s rendering is the first up-close look at the missile’s design, and the first rendering released by any service since the 2022 illustration, with much greater detail to the missile exterior and guidance section.
The JATM is expected to keep to the general dimensions of the AIM-120 AMRAAM for compatibility with existing aircraft. It lacks mid-body control surfaces found on the AMRAAM and likely incorporates a new solid rocket motor for longer range.
Despite the qualitative advantage the JATM will provide to operators, a recent statement from Raytheon’s vice president for requirements and capabilities John Norman in an interview with Air and Space Forces hinted that the most recent AMRAAM variant, the AIM-120D-3, was nearing the threshold range of the AIM-260A program, which was set at 100 miles (190 km). Despite this, it is likely that the AIM-260 exceeds the minimum threshold range set.
Flight testing of the AIM-260A began as early as 2020 against QF-16 target aircraft and progressed under tight security. Little details were provided from any services regarding the weapon’s status throughout the early 2020s. According to Frank Kendall, former Secretary of the Air Force, the JATM was slated for the start of production in 2023, though its actual status remains unknown.
AIM-260A JATM development continues despite the secrecy, and further information from the services will be released at the approval of managers involved with the program. Naval News has reached out to the U.S. Navy’s public affairs office for further information regarding the rendering and current progress of the AIM-260A.
