The U.S. Navy’s next-generation air-to-air missile is receiving budget line funding for the first time as the force transitions towards further AIM-260 JATM procurement.
The U.S. Navy is finally moving to procure JATM after rigorous testing across the U.S. Navy’s operational test and evaluation squadrons, marking the first time the AIM-260A is being officially procured by the service. Details of the procurement were outlined—albeit vaguely due to classification—in the U.S. Navy’s FY2026 justification books released this week.
JATM has been tested in live fire environments with Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 over the past year, which the U.S. Navy confirmed to Naval News earlier this year after VX-31 posted their success on Facebook.
Information about the JATM has slowly released throughout 2025 as the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy prepare to adopt the weapon. In February, the U.S. Navy released a rendering of the missile to the public in a NAVAIR portfolio review document, which The War Zone reported was an accurate rendering of the JATM.
Now, in the FY2026 budget, the U.S. Navy has earmarked nearly $309 million for the procurement of an unspecified number of AIM-260As.
The move to begin procurement as a line item comes with a significant reduction AIM-120 AMRAAM buys, allocating $59 million for just 51 missiles in FY2026, down from 181 missiles in FY2025. Despite the reduction, the U.S. Navy still identifies AMRAAM inventories as being critically low.
“Due to AMRAAM inventories being critically low, the program will procure the maximum quantity of missiles with the provided funding in accordance with Title 10, US Code Section 2308 Buy-to-Budget acquisition.”
U.S. Navy FY2026 Budget Documentation
JATM offers the U.S. Navy’s carrier air wings with additional reach over the ‘legacy’ (but still potent) AIM-120D AMRAAM, especially when paired with the recently fielded AIM-174B. The AIM-260A will likely be fielded operationally with CVW-1 and CVW-5 of the USS Carl Vinson and USS George Washington respectfully: two of the ‘Advanced Air Wings’ currently deployed in the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
