The Department of Defense already has effective air-to-air missiles—but near-peer adversaries’ recent advancements, particularly China’s development of the PL-15 missile, have pushed the Pentagon to move even faster.
The US military continues to develop the secretive AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile to counter missile technology developed by China and Russia.
The JATM Missile Is Absurdly Expensive—but Could Be Worth It
The Navy and Air Force have requested approximately $1 billion for Fiscal Year 2026 to continue the development of the air-to-air munition.
The classified munition has been in development since the mid-2010s. Both the Air Force and Navy are seeking funds for the advanced munitions. Specifically, the Air Force has requested $368 million for first-time JATM production and an additional $300 million for further production, while the Navy has requested $301 million for the production of the AIM-260.
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets, is developing the new advanced air-to-air munition. The aerospace defense giant and the Pentagon have guarded closely the capabilities of the AIM-260 JATM.
In a rare mention, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) revealed an image of the AIM-260 JATM during a portfolio overview presented by the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons in February. Besides a visual depiction, however, the Navy did not provide any additional information with regard to the missile.
US adversaries, and particularly the Chinese military, are spending billions of dollars in missile technology in an attempt to gain air superiority in a future conflict.
“Our potential adversaries have witnessed our ability to provide air superiority, and US competitors have evolved in response. An air-to-air missile capable of defeating advanced threat systems is essential to maintaining US air superiority,” an Air Force representative stated about the AIM-260 JATM—declining to go into detail about the munition’s capabilities or development.
Why Does the Pentagon Want Another AIM Missile?
The US military intends to replace the aging AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) with the AIM-260 JATM. The AIM-120 has been in service since the early 1990s, but has received significant upgrades in recent years. Nevertheless, near-peer adversary weapon development, particularly China’s PL-15 missile—recently used to great effect in the skies over Pakistan—has prompted the Pentagon to develop more advanced air-to-air munitions to equip the Air Force’s and Navy’s current and future stealth fighter jets and unmanned aircraft.
The recent clash between India and Pakistan showed that effective missiles can be just as important as advanced fighter jets in aerial combat. The Indian Air Force lost several fighter jets to the Pakistani Air Force. New Delhi has not acknowledged the actual number of losses, but they could be as high as six aircraft. The losses are known to have included at least one French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jet.
According to reports, the Indian Air Force did not properly assess the range of Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles used by Pakistani aircraft. Accordingly, Indian aircraft flying strike missions came under unexpected aerial attack.
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. So, the longer the range of an air-to-air missile, the better.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.