The US first showed the new long-range AIM-424 Malice missile: what it is capable of
Фото: US Navy
The United States has unveiled its new AIM-424 Malice ultra-long-range air-to-air missile for the first time. The missile is planned to be used with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C, and the upcoming F/A-XX carrier-based aircraft.
This is reported by DVIDS .
The new product was introduced at the Tailhook Association conference in Reno, Nevada. Photos of the AIM-424 were released by the U.S. Department of Defense Visual Information Dissemination Service.
One of the photos shows the missile mounted on a Super Hornet fighter jet from the 23rd US Navy Test Squadron VX-23. The aircraft was armed with 4 AIM-424 missiles. Another photo shows Malice in the internal compartment of an F-35.
According to the US Navy, the AIM-424 Malice will have a two-stage design that should provide long range and high speed. The missile will also be significantly larger than the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the newer AIM-260 JATM.
Key features of the AIM-424 Malice:
- developer – Raytheon;
- engine – solid-fuel rocket;
- length – 4.11 m;
- diameter – 0.34 m;
- wingspan – 0.67 m;
- weight – 680.4 kg;
- range – over 463 km;
- The warhead is high-explosive fragmentation.
The US Navy claims that Malice will have a range that will exceed virtually all existing air-to-air missiles.
The Pentagon has been considering the development of long-range, multi-stage missiles for many years. The United States is also studying the possibility of developing missiles capable of hitting air targets at a distance of up to 1,600 km, which it attributes to the need to counter China’s promising weapons.
The AIM-424 Malice will not be the first American long-range missile of this class. The US Navy previously introduced the AIM-174B Gunslinger, which is estimated to have a range of up to 400 km. At the same time, it is not yet known how exactly Malice will interact with this missile.
Recall that the US Department of Defense has signed a multi-year contract with Lockheed Martin to produce interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems . The maximum value of the deal is $58.6 billion.
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