【Text by Observers Network, Wang Shichun】 After demonstrating its capabilities, the PL-15E, according to "The Region" website on June 28, the U.S. military's latest 2026 Defense Authorization Bill draft shows that the U.S. military is seeking a total of nearly $670.5 million in funding to put the highly anticipated AIM-260 "Joint Advanced Tactical Missile" (JATM) advanced air-to-air missile into full-scale production.

The reason for accelerating the development and procurement of the AIM-260A, "The Region" naturally did not miss the recent hot topics. The website said that the emergence of China's PL-15 air-to-air missile in 2016 was considered a key driving factor behind the initiation of the JATM project in 2017. Pakistan's recent use of the PL-15 series missiles and the Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jet in combat, which are the first systems of their kind to participate in real combat globally, have attracted special attention.

Comparison between AIM-120 (with wings) and AIM-260; Social media of F/A-18E/F launching AIM-260A

The U.S. military began releasing part of the budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year yesterday, which usually happens earlier this year. In terms of procurement, the Navy sought $301.858 million for the AIM-260A, while the Air Force requested $368.593 million. The Navy and Air Force also requested $222,782 and $425,029 respectively for the development of the AIM-260.

Details about the design of the JATM remain highly classified, but a core known requirement is that it must have a much longer range than the AIM-120, while also having advanced guidance and network capabilities.

The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) showed a design concept image of the next-generation air-to-air missile AIM-260A in its presentation slides, marking the first time the "concept drawing" of the AIM-260A air-to-air missile has been disclosed. It appears that the AIM-260A adopts a trendy "pole-shaped" configuration.

Naval News commented that the AIM-260A is expected to maintain the same size as the AIM-120 - with a diameter of 178 mm, so that it can be compatible with existing aircraft. The range of the AIM-260A should be slightly longer than that of the currently deployed AIM-120D-3 air-to-air missile, meaning that the maximum head-on strike range of this missile reaches over 190 kilometers. However, it is unclear whether the AIM-260A is equipped with dual-pulse engine technology.

The specific details of the funds required for the procurement of the AIM-260A in the 2026 fiscal year are confidential. In terms of missiles, procurement funds are usually used to purchase materials for long-term storage, preparing for large-scale concentrated production later. Additionally, complete ammunition and other auxiliary items need to be purchased. What the subsequent scientific research tasks of the JATM will be remains unknown.

Regarding this development, "The Region" website, regardless of anything, is a major advancement for the AIM-260 in terms of public awareness. The AIM-260 has been under development since at least 2017. In 2019, the goal of the AIM-260 was to begin deploying the missile in 2022. There is no indication that the AIM-260 has been deployed yet.

So far, testing of the AIM-260A, including live-fire tests, has continued. Before the U.S. military publicly increased procurement funds in the 2026 fiscal year budget, the live-fire test activities of the AIM-260A significantly increased last year.

The U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets are expected to be the first U.S. aircraft to be equipped with the AIM-260A, but other tactical aircraft will certainly follow closely. The upcoming F-47 is likely to feature a large number of them. The U.S. Air Force has previously stated that the JATM will be part of the weapons arsenal of its future collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drones.

For the reasons behind accelerating the development and procurement of the AIM-260A, "The Region" naturally did not miss the recent hot topics. The website said that the emergence of China's PL-15 air-to-air missile in 2016 was considered a key driver behind the initiation of the JATM project in 2017. The recent use of the PL-15 series missiles and the Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jet by Pakistan in combat, which are the first systems of their kind to participate in real combat globally, have attracted special attention this year.

The U.S. military currently faces "range anxiety." Last year, the U.S. Air Force warned that air-to-air and/or surface-to-air missiles with a range of 1,000 miles may become part of the ecosystem threats faced by the U.S. military by 2050.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521647145175237170/

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