Lockheed Disclosure May Point to Start of AIM-260 Production
FSAT Testing for the JATM Was Confirmed to Have Started as Early as April 2020
Testing in General for the Missile Is Currently Ongoing
By John A | May 2 2023
The secretive AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) will hopefully enter production this year at an accelerated pace.
A Lockheed Martin F-22 fires an advanced new missile in this still from a company video. (Lockheed Martin)
The Air Force is moving toward procuring the Lockheed Martin LMT AIM-260 JATM. The outsize missile probably is the AIM-260 which the Air Force and Lockheed Martin LMT have been developing under a highly classified program for several years.
FSAT testing for the JATM was confirmed to have started as early as April 2020 and testing in general for the missile is currently ongoing. Lockheed is expected to detail the missile’s progress at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in September.
Conclusion
The AIM-260 is a next-generation air-to-air missile that is designed to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM. It is expected to have a range of over 100 miles and will be able to engage targets at all altitudes.
The development of the AIM-260 is a major step forward for the Air Force. It will provide the service with a much-needed capability to counter emerging threats from adversaries such as China and Russia.
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