The AIM-260A Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) has just been announced by the US Air Force with extended range, superior guidance capabilities and stealth, promising to reshape the competition in the air battlefield between superpowers.
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| A simulation drawing of US military F-22 fighters equipped with the new AIM-260A JATM missile. (Source: US Air Force) |
Last month, The War Zone reported that the US Air Force confirmed the authenticity of a newly released AIM-260A JATM rendering.
Outstanding advantages
With an extended range but similar in size to the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the missile is expected to replace the generation of missiles currently used by the US military. Previously mentioned in a US Navy weapons industry brief, the JATM is still classified as high-end, with technical details and programs kept secret.
However, the military believes that the AIM-260A has an advanced propulsion system, multi-mode guidance technology and the ability to receive guidance from multiple sources such as ground radar and satellites.
Although public information about the AIM-260A's range has not yet appeared, according to Naval News, the latest AIM-120D-3 variant has nearly reached the AIM-260A's range threshold - at 190 km, and future generations of the missile are likely to exceed that range.
The AIM-260A's advanced propulsion and multi-mode seeker technology are expected to represent significant advances in the US military's air-to-air combat capabilities.
The drawings show a design optimized for high speed and low drag. Additionally, the AIM-260A has a significantly longer rocket motor than the AIM-120, suggesting a significant increase in range and speed. The AIM-260A is expected to be mounted on stealth fighters such as the F-22 and F-35, as well as future stealth drones under the Cooperative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
Although currently undergoing testing, the exact timeline for the AIM-260A's operational deployment remains unclear and there has been no public confirmation of the missile's operational status.
Fierce competition from China
The development of new-generation missiles reflects the US military's concerns about external threats, especially from China after the Northeast Asian country recently unveiled an advanced air-to-air missile.
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has unveiled the J-16 fighter jet equipped with the PL-17 missile, a beyond visual range (BVR) weapon designed to neutralize high-value airborne targets such as airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) and tanker aircraft.
The PL-17, significantly larger than its predecessor the PL-15, features a dual-pulse rocket engine, thrust vectoring control, and a speed exceeding Mach 4. The PL-17's guidance system incorporates an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and a two-way data link, enhancing its resistance to electronic countermeasures.
Beijing is also developing hypersonic air-to-air missiles to counter Washington's stealth bombers, such as the B-21 Raider. These weapons, which are said to be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 9 (11,000 km/h), utilize solid-fuel pulse engines and extreme heat resistance, allowing for unpredictable flight paths.
"China's missile strategy fits into its broader anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) doctrine, which aims to push US and allied forces further away from Beijing's shores. The BVR revolution has shifted engagements from close-in air combat to long-range, sensor-driven confrontations, with fighters using stealthy radars, electronic warfare (EW), and active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars to detect and engage enemy forces at long ranges, often before they are detected," military expert Samuel Leiter said in a report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in March 2023.
However, China may already have countermeasures against the AIM-260A and similar missiles. In June 2024, the Asian Military Review reported that the PLAAF and PLA Naval Air Force (PLANAF) are deploying sophisticated EW advanced simulation platforms such as the Y-9DZ and J-16D.
These platforms are equipped with advanced jammers and electronic support measures (ESM) and are designed to disrupt enemy missile guidance systems and radar operations. China’s innovation in EW platforms to neutralize BVR threats and maintain air superiority in contested areas reflects a shift to electronic spectrum dominance to counter advanced missile technologies.
Comparing the capabilities of US and Chinese stealth fighters, military expert Brent Eastwood said that while China's J-20 has radar-evading features, advanced avionics and long-range strike capabilities, the stealth capabilities of this generation of fighters are considered inferior to those of US fifth-generation jets such as the F-22 and F-35.
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| J-20 fighter threatens US air dominance. (Source: National Interest) |
However, the J-20's combat radius is nearly double that of the F-22 and F-35, allowing for extended combat range - a very important factor for battlefield operations in the Pacific region. Not to mention, the J-20's advanced stealth design and high-thrust WS-15 engine increase speed, maneuverability and supersonic flight without afterburner.
With large internal fuel capacity and sophisticated avionics, the J-20's features also increase its outstanding endurance and operational flexibility.
Meanwhile, with the ability of F-22 aircraft to take off from Kadena Air Base in Japan as well as the vertical take-off and landing operations of the F-35B allowing deployment from air bases on Pacific islands under harsh terrain and weather conditions, the flexibility of launching from aircraft carriers of the F-35C... are assessed to significantly enhance the air power of the US and its allies.
Despite the technological advantage, the readiness of US fighter jets remains questionable. Last month, Air & Space Forces magazine reported that by 2024, the F-22’s readiness rate would drop from 52% to 40.19%, while the F-35A’s readiness rate would remain at 51.4%.
In addition, the US Air Force is also facing a more serious fighter jet shortage due to the recent cutback in F-35 purchases, weakening its ability to counter China's growing military power in the Pacific region.
Warning in Air & Space Forces Magazine in February 2024, General David Allvin once said that the US would have to pay a "quite high price" if it wanted to build enough aircraft to maintain air superiority for days and weeks.
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