American Weapon of Terror: Missile That Strikes Targets 463 Kilometers Away

The U.S. Navy is preparing to introduce a new generation of long-range air-to-air missiles, in a move reflecting the accelerating arms race to counter evolving aerial and maritime threats, foremost among them China’s missile capabilities.

The U.S. Navy has revealed the (AIM-424 LRAAM), known as (Malice), which is currently undergoing flight testing.

The new missile has a range of approximately 288 miles (463 kilometers), making it, according to available information, the longest-range air-to-air missile in the U.S. arsenal.

It surpasses the (AIM-174B), estimated to have a range of over 186 miles, and vastly outperforms the (AIM-120 AMRAAM), whose range exceeds 20 miles.

The (AIM-424) is being developed for use on (F/A-18 Super Hornet) and (F-35C Lightning II) fighters, as well as the future (F/A-XX) program fighter, planned to replace the (Super Hornet) within the U.S. Navy fleet.

These capabilities come amid Washington’s efforts to keep aircraft carriers and their fighter jets at safe distances from China’s long-range weapon systems.

China has developed air-to-ground missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of threatening naval vessels from ranges exceeding a thousand miles, prompting the U.S. Navy to seek weapons able to engage adversaries before they enter the carrier strike zone.

Although the U.S. Navy has not disclosed all secrets of the missile, available information indicates that the (AIM-424) is a two-stage rocket powered by solid-fuel propulsion.

It measures about 4 meters in length, with a diameter of around 34 centimeters, and weighs approximately 680 kilograms, featuring a fragmented warhead designed to effectively engage aerial targets.

Notably, the missile’s development has taken over a decade, and its official service entry date remains uncertain. However, its appearance mounted inside the internal weapons bay of an (F-35C) fighter suggests the project has advanced significantly through testing, potentially paving the way for a new weapon entering the U.S. arsenal that could redefine aerial combat at unprecedented ranges.