AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is an American beyond-visual-range
air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)
AIM-260
(JATM) (BVRAAM)
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History AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is an
American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)
The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) being developed and produced by Lockheed Martin. Designed to address advanced threats, the missile is expected to replace or supplement the AIM-120 AMRAAM currently in US service. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) considers the AIM-260A JATM program to be the number one air-delivered weapon priority for both the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the Navy (USN); and its acquisition out-prioritizes other weapon system improvements and modernization efforts on any fielded aircraft. This program differs from the Long-Range Engagement Weapon being developed by Raytheon. The JATM is also separate from the AIM-174B, also developed by Raytheon for the USN.
Development
Initial launch platforms were expected to be, and currently are, the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor and the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, with integration with the F-35 Lightning II and F-15EX Eagle II being planned afterward.
The AIM-260 program began in 2017 in response to long-range missiles developed by potential adversaries, specifically the Chinese PL-15. Full scale aerial target testing for the JATM was confirmed to have started as early as April 2020, and testing in general for the missile is currently ongoing. It is yet to achieve initial operational capability (IOC). The AIM-260 production is expected to overtake AIM-120 production by 2026.
Development of the missile has been highly classified; it is a Special Access Program. In FY 2020, the U.S. Air Force appropriated $6.5m for the construction of a custom storage vault at Hill AFB specifically for the JATM, citing the classified nature of the program. An official Request for Information (RFI) was issued in 2020, relating to the Long Range Air-to-Air Technology (LRAAT) program was subsequently issued to gather industry input on advanced missile capabilities and future development requirements relating to the JATM. According to the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) 2023 fact sheet there is a new propellent developed which enables 1.5x greater range
On June 26 2025, the US military released FY2026 budget and US Air Force and US navy both requested in total $687 millions for the AIM-260 JATM procurement and for the ongoing development of the JATM missile
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AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is an
American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
(BVRAAM)
AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile
(JATM) is an American beyond-visual-range
air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)
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AIM-260: Lockheed’s Answer to the Missile Gap
The missile is designed for internal carriage in stealth fighters, ensuring radar invisibility, while also retaining compatibility with legacy platforms such as the F-15, F-16, and the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
Integration with future unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) is also expected, enabling swarms of AI-driven drones to carry AIM-260s deep into contested airspace without risking human pilots.
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See also
- AIM-120D
- AIM-160 SACM
- AIM-174B
- Long-Range Engagement Weapon
- Peregrine air-to-air missile
Missiles of similar role, configuration, and era
- AAM-4TDR – (Japan)
- Meteor – (France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden)
- PL-15 – (China)
- PL-17 – (China)
- R-37 – (Russia)
- R-77M – (Russia)
Links to Youtube & Others
Initial launch platforms were expected to be, and currently are, the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor and the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, with integration with the F-35 Lightning II and F-15EX Eagle II being planned afterward
AIM-260 Joint
(JATM) (BVRAAM)
The US military intends to replace the aging AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) with the AIM-260 JATM.
Youtube Link
Missile range is an important consideration in air-to-air combat. Fighter jets equipped with missiles with longer range can reach enemy aircraft without risking coming under attack.
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(JATM) (BVRAAM)
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