Latest news with #AIM-260
India.com
04-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
US launches new AIM-260 missile to counter Chinese PL-17, India betting on Russian R-37, who will win the race?
(REUTERS/File) New Delhi: The use of Chinese PL-15 air to air missile was seen in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. According to reports, China is currently working on PL-17 and PL-21 air to air missiles, whose capability will be much more than PL-15. At the same time, America has started working on AIM-260 to counter this power of China while India has decided to bet on Russian R-37. The main purpose of these missiles is to destroy the enemy's Airborne Early Warning System (AEW&C) aircraft, tanker aircraft and stealth fighter planes from a very long distance. What is AIM-260 missile? The US Navy and Air Force have sought about $670.5 million in purchase funding and $687 million in research and development funding for the AIM-260 air-to-air missile in the 2026 budget proposal. This will be the next variant of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. According to reports, the AIM-260 will include a ramjet or dual-pulse rocket motor, multi-mode seeker (infrared + active radar), two-way data link and electronic warfare resistant system, which will make it highly lethal and modern. The report said that it will first be used in America's F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft, but in future it will also be integrated into fighter aircraft like F-35 and F-15EX. The main purpose of AIM-260 is to develop the ability to attack from a longer distance against China's PL series missiles like PL-15, PL-17 and PL-21. AIM-260 vs PL-17 Missiles. When was AIM-260 conceptualised? It is claimed that with the double-seeker design, both the missile's accuracy and resistance to electronic warfare will be greatly enhanced. In addition, it will make it easier to target targets stealthily with a reduced radar footprint. That is, the US is preparing to integrate it into its stealth fighter aircraft. In February 2025, the US Navy publicly revealed the rendering of the next-generation long-range AIM-260, which gave many details about the external and guidance sections of the missile. Where does PL series stand? On the other hand, after the PL-15, China has now focused on extremely long-range air-to-air missiles like the PL-17 and PL-21. The PL-17 has been seen on the J-17 fighter jet and its range is believed to be around 400 kilometers, which is more than any current US missile. The guidance system of PL-17 includes inertial navigation, satellite guidance, data link and active radar seeker in the terminal phase. This missile has the capability to shoot down enemy AEW&C platforms like Boeing E-3D or Wedgetail without coming face to face. Recently, China had given PL-15 missiles to Pakistan, which it used against India. After this conflict, the demand for air to air missiles has increased further in the world. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is developing very long range air to air missiles (VLRAAM) which can attack targets from a long distance. What about India? Russia is not behind in this ongoing race between China and America. Russia's R-37M missile already has the capability to strike from 150 to 400 km. This is also a BVR i.e. Beyond Visual Range missile. Russia designed this missile primarily for the MiG-31 interceptor, but now it is also being installed in aircraft like Su-30SM, Su-35S and Su-57. R-37M has advanced technologies like dual-pulse rocket motor, mid-course targeting update and dual-band radar seeker. By using it in the Ukraine war, Russia has been very successful in keeping Ukrainian fighters away from the battlefield. The Eurasian Times report says that India is talking to Russia to buy R-37M air to air missile. Russia has proposed to India to produce this missile in India itself under Make in India. At present the talks are going on. The report says that India will integrate it in its SU-30MKI fighter aircraft.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Secretive AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile Live-Fire Testing Surged Last Year With Navy Help
Members of the U.S. Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) contributed to an important increase in live-fire testing of the secretive AIM-260A long-range air-to-air missile last year, it has emerged. In 2024, the 'Dust Devils' of VX-31 also made important contributions to the initial fielding of the AIM-174B air-launched version of the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), which was in response to an 'emergent Pacific Fleet requirement.' The new details about VX-31's support to the AIM-260A and AIM-174B programs come via the announcement of awards that members of the squadron received last month, which user @AirPowerNEW1 on X was first to spot. The Dust Devils are based at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California. The squadron supports various test and evaluation activities with a mixed fleet of aircraft that currently includes F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and AV-8B+ Harriers, as well as MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. 'CDR Christopher Putre, Commanding Officer of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31) presents LCDR Orion Flurett with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal on December 19, 2024, in China Lake, CA. LCDR Flurett, recognized for his meritorious service while serving as Developmental Test-9 Detachment Officer In Charge, VX-31, FROMN [sic; from] July to August 2024,' one post on VX-31's official Facebook account reads. 'LCDR Flurett demonstrated extraordinary leadership and foresight, he planned, managed, and coordinated 78 personnel and two aircraft supporting the live-fire testing of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile. In particular, his keen oversight and initiative were critical to receiving approval from NAVAIR [Naval Air Systems Command], VX-31, CTWP, and Eglin AFM [sic; Eglin Air Force Base] leadership for the last-minute increase to category C testing, resulting in the successful completion of 8 sorties encompassing 26.3 mishap-free flight hours, directly contributing to future air wing capabilities.' The post does not specify what types of aircraft supported this increased testing, or whether or not they came from VX-31 or another unit involved in AIM-260A testing. JATM is a joint program that the Navy is working on together with the U.S. Air Force. Active testing of the new missile, including live-fire shots, has already been ongoing for years now. F/A-18E/F Super Hornets are expected to be among the first types to carry AIM-260s operationally along with Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters. It's unclear when the AIM-260 might be slated to enter operational service now. When the existence of the JATM first became public in 2019, the goal was to start fielding the missiles in 2022, but there are no indications that this has occurred. Details about the AIM-260 itself remain limited and no imagery of the missile has emerged to date. The Air Force did confirm to TWZ last month that a recently released JATM rendering reflects the real design. Key requirements for the AIM-260 are known to include substantially greater range than the existing AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), but in a package with the same form factor. The JATM is likely to have new advanced guidance and networking capabilities, as you can read more about here. On the AIM-174B front, 'CDR Christopher Putre, Commanding Officer of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE (VX-31) presents CDR James Kobyra and LT Mollie Sebald with a Letter of Appreciation on December 19, 2024, in China Lake, CA for their instrumental contribution to the successful certification and testing of Captive Air Training Missiles [CATM]' in support of that program, a separate VX-31 Facebook post says. 'Through August and September of 2024, they provided exceptional leadership for the rapid execution on the CATM project, facilitating and demonstrating the feasibility and relevance of the missiles for fleet flight operations. Their efforts enabled the program to meet and [sic; an] emergent Pacific Fleet requirement and provided the fleet with a key capability while meeting a time critical need. Also, they provided a program and the fleet with a cost effective, and tactically relevant capability at delivery time the exemplifies speed to the fleet.' VX-31, as well as VX-9, the 'Vampires,' also based at China Lake, have been actively supporting the development of the AIM-174B for years now. The recent award announcement does provide some additional context around the missile's public unveiling as part of the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise off Hawaii last year, which ran from June 27 to August 1. The Navy previously confirmed that the AIM-174B has already entered at least limited operational service. The AIM-174B is derived from the combat-proven SM-6, which is a highly-capable multi-purpose missile in U.S. service in multiple ship and ground-launched configurations. SM-6 can engage aerial threats, including ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight and highly maneuverable hypersonic weapons under specific circumstances, as well as targets at sea and on land when used in a quasi-ballistic mode. The fact that the Navy's development of an air-launched version of SM-6 was driven at least in part by a requirement from U.S. Pacific Fleet is fully in line with TWZ's previous analysis. You can learn more about how the AIM-174B will factor into the Navy's future air combat ecosystem, especially for fleet defense and attacking high-value assets, and in the context of a high-end fight with China in the Pacific, in our past in-depth feature and the video below. The Navy has otherwise been extremely tight-lipped about the AIM-174B. 'It exists,' Navy Rear Adm. Keith Hash, head of NAVAIR's Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), said during a panel discussion at the WEST 2025 conference in January when asked about the new air-launched version of the SM-6. 'That's an operational capability. And, as you can see, that one being revealed and shown into the area, there are many more behind [it], things that we're doing there, making sure that we are staying ahead of the conflict, making sure that we're prepared for the fight that's going on. And those activities and that development is active and strong.' The VX-31 award announcements underscore just how significant the addition of the AIM-174B to the Navy's arsenal really is, especially when it comes to being prepared for a future major conflict with China in the Pacific, as well as the importance of ongoing work on the AIM-260. Contact the author: joe@
