U.S. Navy unveils AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 23, 2026 at 12:21 PM

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

U.S. Navy unveils AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile

The U.S. Navy unveiled the AIM-424 Malice, a long-range air-to-air missile built by Raytheon, at the Tailhook Convention in Reno, Nevada. The missile can hit targets over 250 nautical miles away, exceeding the range of the AIM-174B and known Chinese air-to-air missiles. It is designed for 4th, 5th, and 6th generation fighters, including the F-35C and F-47.

Key Facts

The AIM-424 Malice has a range exceeding 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers), according to Raytheon president Phil Jasper.
The missile was unveiled at the Tailhook Convention in Reno, Nevada, an event focused on naval aviation.
The AIM-424 is designed for 4th, 5th, and 6th generation platforms, including the F-35C, F/A-18, F-47, and potentially the F/A-XX.
At least one captive-carry flight test was disclosed in the Navy's image release, dating back to April 2026.
A fit test on an F-35 appears to have been conducted earlier in August 2026.

Missile Capabilities

The AIM-424 Malice is built by Raytheon's Advanced Technology division and can hit targets over 250 nautical miles away. Its 13.5-inch diameter and aerodynamic profile appear optimized for range, exceeding estimates of all currently known Chinese air-to-air missiles. The missile's range and speed exceed those of the currently fielded AIM-174B, a U.S. official familiar with the program confirmed. Specialized aerodynamic fins and strakes enable the missile to retain significant maneuverability despite its larger size compared to the AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-260 JATM.

Platform Integration

The AIM-424 is designed for integration across U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft, including the sixth-generation F-47, F-35C, F/A-18, and potentially the F/A-XX. Specialized cyber development teams have worked on building the missile's infrastructure for a broad range of aircraft and joint systems since January. At least one captive-carry flight test was disclosed in the Navy's image release, dating back to April 2026. A fit test on an F-35 appears to have been conducted earlier in August 2026.

4 sources

U.S. Navy unveils AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile

navalnews.com

Naval News

armyrecognition.com

Army Recognition

tengrinews.kz

Tengrinews

aerotime.aero

AeroTime

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U.S. Navy unveils AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile

Key Facts

Missile Capabilities

Platform Integration

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