The Pentagon has established a new production framework with Lockheed Martin to support expansion of manufacturing for the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile. The JATM is a classified next-generation air-to-air missile programme intended to provide longer-range engagement capabilities for US fighter aircraft. The agreement was signed under the Arsenal of Freedom effort, which is designed to strengthen the US munitions industrial base. It provides a framework for possible future multiyear procurement rather than announcing a specific quantity of missiles. The longer-term demand signal is intended to give Lockheed Martin and its network of suppliers greater confidence to expand factory capacity, recruit and train workers and improve production efficiency. Successor to AIM-120The AIM-260 is being developed to complement and ultimately succeed the AIM-120 AMRAAM in the medium-to-long-range air-combat role. The US Air Force and Navy programme remains highly classified. Its objectives include extending engagement range and improving the missile’s ability to defeat advanced countermeasures. The weapon is being developed in the context of increasingly sophisticated adversary air-to-air missiles such as China’s PL-15 and PL-17. Work on the programme was underway by 2017, while initial fielding had originally been planned for 2022. Testing began in 2020, but difficulties associated with integrating the weapon with fifth-generation aircraft contributed to delays. The missile is now approaching initial fielding with the F-22. The services included JATM in their FY2026 budget requests, seeking nearly $670.5 million for procurement and $647.8 million for continued development. Neither service disclosed the number of missiles involved in the request.
