The US Air Force and Navy are seeking nearly $1 billion to start production of Lockheed Martin’s new long-range AIM-260A missile, designed to counter advanced threats like China’s PL-15. As detailed in a previous article titled “Secret Missile Project Moves Toward Deployment,” the classified weapon has been in development for years. It will replace the aging AIM-120, with compatibility across F-22, F-35, F-15, and F-16 jets. The AIM-260A could grow into a $30 billion program, becoming a critical pillar of Lockheed’s future growth. Deployment timing remains classified, according to Bloomberg. They write:
Months after Pakistan used a Chinese-made ultra-long-range missile to shoot down Indian fighters, US Air Force and Navy funding requests show they may soon get their own advanced weapon after eight years of development: the Lockheed Martin Corp. AIM-260.
The service branches have asked for nearly $1 billion for the 2026 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, to begin producing the classified system, according to budget documents and a service statement. […]
The AIM-260 is designed to fit in the internal weapons bays of the F-22 and F-35 fighters, but the Air Force said it would also be integrated with F-16 and F-15 jets. Former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown told a Senate Armed Services committee panel in March 2023 the missile also might be installed on the service’s new unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which is now in test flights. […]
This week, the Air Force declined to say when the AIM-260 would be operational, saying each service branch would use “specific criteria” to determine that.
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