On Saturday, August 22, 2026, US defense outlet Aviation Week was the first to publish two photographs of a prototype of the new AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile, developed by RTX for the US Navy under the LRAAM (Long Range Air-to-Air Missile) program.
F/A-18E Super Hornet with four AIM-424 Malice / Photo: US Navy via Aviation Week
The missile was unveiled during a presentation by the US Navy’s NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) at the annual Tailhook Symposium in Reno, Nevada, held on August 20–22 this year.
Two photographs dated April 2026 were released. One shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet multirole combat aircraft from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23 Salty Dogs) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, carrying four AIM-424 Malice missiles in flight together with two AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles. The second shows a single next-generation missile in the open weapons bay of an F-35C Lightning II multirole combat aircraft, alongside a single AIM-120 mounted on the bay door. Both photographs highlight the size difference between the AIM-424 and AIM-120.
According to information obtained by Aviation Week in Reno, the AIM-424 will also be integrated with a third platform—the future sixth-generation carrier-based F/A-XX combat aircraft, whose contractor is expected to be selected soon, with Northrop Grumman and Boeing competing. Interestingly, the missile is reportedly a two-stage design, which should translate into both very high maximum speed and extended range.
The US Navy later released additional details on the new missile:
“The Department of Navy is developing the Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-424 Long Range Air to Air Missile (LRAAM), a next-generation missile intended to strengthen fleet defense and maintain a decisive air domain overmatch against advanced threats. Also known as Malice, LRAAM directly supports the Department’s contribution to integrated deterrence by increasing range, lethality, and combat effectiveness for Marine and Naval aviation forces that are defending our fleets, our interests, and our homeland.”
“LRAAM sustains the Department’s first look, first shot, first kill advantage by providing our aviators greater reach, greater survivability, and greater tactical flexibility in the air-to-air fight. Built for 4th, 5th, and 6th generation platforms, LRAAM is designed for the air wing of today and the future.”
Specifications
- Primary Function: Air-to-Air Missile
- Contractor: Raytheon
- Propulsion: Solid-propellant rocket motor
- Length: 13.5 feet (4.11 meters)
- Diameter: 13.5 inches (0.34 meters)
- Wingspan: 26.2 inches (0.67 meters)
- Weight: 1500 pounds (680.4 kg)
- Range: In excess of 250 nm (463 km)
- Warhead: Blast fragmentation
For comparison, the AIM-120 AMRAAM is 3.65 m long, 0.365 m in diameter, has a wingspan of 0.484 m and weighs 161.5 kg. The new missile is therefore larger and heavier.
F-35C Lightning II with a single AIM-424 Malice
The AIM-424 Malice will significantly increase the capabilities of combat aviation compared with the current AIM-120 AMRAAM, whose range is estimated at 120–180 km, although the exact figure remains classified. However, in 2024 the US Navy revealed the existence of the long-range AIM-174B Gunslinger air-launched missile, also known as the SM-6 ALC, which is an airborne derivative of the ship-launched RIM-174 SM-6 ERAM. While its range has not been disclosed, the baseline missile is credited with a range of 370 km.
It is also worth noting that on March 15 this year, the first photograph was released of the new AIM-260A JATM (Joint Advanced Tactical Missile) long-range air-to-air missile being developed by rival company Lockheed Martin, which Australia recently announced plans to acquire. Its specifications remain classified, but its performance is expected to exceed that of AMRAAM despite broadly similar dimensions. The missile is to be integrated with the F-22A Raptor for the US Air Force and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for the US Navy, followed by the F-35 Lightning II and F-15EX Eagle II. It is believed to use a dual-pulse rocket motor, while the US Air Force has denied reports that it uses a ramjet, and is likely to feature thrust-vector control and an active seeker with an AESA radar, potentially supplemented by an infrared sensor.
Meanwhile, on June 24 this year, the US Air Force launched a market survey concerning the development of the AFLRW (Air Force Long Range Weapon) air-to-air/air-to-ground missile with an extreme range of at least 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 km).
Finally, it is worth adding that in November 2017, a US Office of the Secretary of Defense budget document noted funding for a new BVRAAM-class air-launched missile project designated LREW (Long-Range Engagement Weapon). The project was reportedly under development from 2015. It is also worth recalling that in 2013 the Next Generation Missile (NGM) program was canceled. It had previously been known as the AIM-188 Joint Dual Role Air Dominance Missile (JDRADM) and was associated with DARPA’s T-3 (Triple Target Terminator) project, both of which were also intended to replace AMRAAM.
Everyone, meet the AIM-424 Malice: https://t.co/T8lEyIpZmK pic.twitter.com/v7jNJ95tUU
— Brian Everstine (@beverstine) August 23, 2026
