New U.S. Missile Advances in Flight Testing

U.S. Army missile on launch rail against clear blue sky — Photo: Olivier Le Queinec / Shutterstock

A newly photographed U.S. air-to-air missile built to counter China’s PL-15 is now flight-testing on Navy jets, signaling a high-stakes push to regain reach in the skies.

Story Snapshot

Photos show the AIM-260 on a U.S. Navy F/A-18F during May testing at Eglin Air Force Base.
The Air Force launched the program to answer China’s PL-15 and exceed AMRAAM’s range.
Budget plans project billions for development and large-scale procurement through 2031.
Public evidence confirms testing progress but not fielded operational capability yet.

What New Photos Show About AIM-260 Progress

Photographs taken May 13, 2026 at Eglin Air Force Base show a U.S. Navy F/A-18F carrying a missile identified as the AIM-260. The test article displayed red and yellow bands that signal an active test round. The images mark the clearest public look so far at the program during flight activities. The sighting confirms the missile has moved from lab work to airborne testing with a frontline carrier-based fighter jet.

Reporting tied the event to ongoing trials rather than a public live-fire intercept. The appearance on a Super Hornet shows the Navy’s role alongside the Air Force. It also shows a focus on compatibility with current fighters that must carry advanced weapons inside or under wings. This matters because real combat advantage comes when range and guidance pair with jets that can actually employ the missile in contested airspace.

Why The Pentagon Built AIM-260 In The First Place

In 2019, an Air Force weapons executive linked the new missile directly to China’s PL-15 threat. He said the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, later designated AIM-260, would be the next air-dominance weapon with longer range than the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. He also described it as a key step to close the beyond-visual-range gap that had grown as rivals fielded longer-reaching missiles.

Contemporaneous coverage reported that Lockheed Martin was developing the weapon for both the Air Force and the Navy. The intent was to replace or succeed the AIM-120 family and restore reach against fighters armed with the PL-15. That origin explains the focus on range, speed, and seekers that can work against modern jamming. It also explains the stress on fitting the missile within the weapons bays or pylons of current U.S. fighters.

Money, Schedules, And The Push To Production

Air and Space Forces Magazine reported funding lines that match a major counter-air program. Budget documents showed about $1.47 billion over five years for research and development, roughly $369 million for fiscal year 2026 procurement, and $8.8 billion planned for procurement from fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Those numbers point to intent to build the missile at scale once testing matures into production.

The public path, however, has not matched the first targets. The 2019 outlook expected flight tests by 2021 and initial operational capability in 2022. The record now centers on visible testing during 2026 and plans for large buys later in the decade. That shift fits a common pattern in complex weapons programs, where cost and schedule pressures stretch early goals while work continues in the background.

What We Know—and What Stays Classified

Officials have said only that AIM-260 offers longer range than AIM-120. Public sources do not verify exact range or top speed, which remain classified. The best-supported facts are the program’s origin against the PL-15, the goal to out-range AMRAAM, the Navy and Air Force integration path, and recent test flights documented in photos. As with many advanced missiles, precise numbers are withheld while the Pentagon moves from test articles to buys.

The USAF F-22 Block 30/35 "Super Raptor" upgrade erases the three operational gaps China’s J-20 was built to exploit:
1. 850 nm Radius: Supersonic Low-Drag Tanks & detachable pylons extend stealth reach from 590 to 850 nm, pushing US tankers outside PL-15 range.
2. Passive… pic.twitter.com/oQPByo1Han

— Defense News IN (@DefenseNewsIN) October 23, 2026

Strategically, the contest is clear. China’s PL-15 is widely assessed as a longer-range, active radar-guided threat that pressures U.S. fighters at distance. The American answer is to field a missile that reaches farther, resists jamming, and fits inside today’s jets. The latest photos show momentum toward that goal. The scale of planned funding signals that leaders want this edge back soon, before any crisis forces pilots to fight at a reach disadvantage.