The US Navy has publicly disclosed the AIM-424 Malice, a new very-long-range air-to-air missile from Raytheon with an officially stated reach of more than 250 nautical miles.
The US Navy has revealed details of a previously undisclosed very-long-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as Malice, with an officially stated range exceeding 250 nautical miles, the UK Defence Journal understands.
The weapon is being developed by Raytheon for US naval and Marine aviation and is intended for fourth, fifth and future sixth-generation combat aircraft. According to the Navy’s newly published fact file, AIM-424 has a range of more than 250 nautical miles, approximately 463 kilometres or 288 statute miles, placing it well beyond the publicly stated reach of most existing Western air-to-air missiles.
The Navy describes Malice as a next-generation weapon intended to strengthen fleet air defence against advanced airborne threats. The service says the missile is designed to increase the reach, lethality and survivability available to naval aviators, allowing fighters to engage targets from substantially greater distances than current-generation weapons.
The missile is listed as measuring 13.5 feet, or 4.11 metres, in length, with a diameter of 13.5 inches and a wingspan of 26.2 inches. Its stated weight is 1,500lb, approximately 680kg. Propulsion is provided by a solid-propellant rocket motor, while the warhead is described as blast fragmentation.
The Navy said in its fact file: “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.”
It added that the weapon, “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.”
Official imagery associated with the disclosure shows the missile integrated with US Navy fighter aircraft, including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II. The Navy’s published specifications state that the weapon is being developed for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-generation platforms, although the fact file does not set out the precise integration configuration for each aircraft or confirm the number of missiles that could be carried internally or externally.
That distinction is particularly relevant for the F-35C, where internal carriage is important to preserving the aircraft’s low-observable characteristics. The information released by the Navy confirms the broader fifth-generation integration requirement but does not provide detailed information on weapon-bay arrangements.
The AIM-424’s range is one of the most notable elements of the disclosure. At more than 250 nautical miles, it is intended to give carrier air wings the ability to threaten hostile aircraft, including potentially high-value support assets, from considerably greater stand-off distances. Actual engagement range in combat would depend on factors including launch altitude and speed, target manoeuvres, sensor support and the missile’s flight profile.
The Navy describes the capability in terms of maintaining a “first look, first shot, first kill” advantage, saying Malice is intended to provide greater tactical flexibility while reducing the need for launching aircraft to approach heavily defended threat aircraft as closely.
It looks kind of like an ESSM with a sharper nose, the AIM-424 is a bit larger according to the sated specs though. There are photos with an AIM-424 in the weapons bay of an F-35C, along with an AMRAAM.