The United States is trying to catch up with China in aircraft missiles, as the gap is significant
The United States is trying to catch up with China by developing the AIM-260A JATM missile with a declared range of up to 200 km. Work on the project has been going on for more than five years, but so far without a significant breakthrough.
Here's What We Know
In 2016, China adopted the PL-15 air-to-air missile with a range of up to 300 km, and in October 2022, the more powerful PL-17, which has a range of 300-500 km and is integrated into J-16 fighters (a Chinese copy of the Su-30).
According to Naval News, the US Navy's Air-to-Air Missile Command (NAVAIR) has released a rendering of PMA-259, which is the first official image of the AIM-260A JATM. Until now, its appearance was kept secret, and its characteristics were compared to the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
An illustrative image of the AIM-260A JATM being launched from an F-22. Illustration: US Air Force
It is known that the testing of the new missile in complete secrecy began in 2020 using QF-16 target aircraft. In 2021, a video of one of the test stages was released, and the launch of mass production was planned for 2023. However, there is currently no information about the implementation of this plan, and neither the Navy nor the US Air Force disclose details about the actual progress of the project.
NAVAIR's rendering also mentions the AIM-174, a redesigned version of the SM-6 naval anti-aircraft missile that can function as an air-to-air missile with a range of more than 500 km. The AIM-174 was last mentioned in the autumn of 2024, but the timing of its mass production remains unknown.
A rendering showing the AIM-260A JATM. Illustration: NAVAIR
Source: Naval News
