The US Navy's Naval Aviation Branch has unveiled a new ultra-long-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-424 Malice, with a claimed range of more than 463 km.
The photos were published by DVIDS, the official media platform of the US Department of Defense.
The missile appeared on two types of carrier-based fighter aircraft: the F-35C Lightning II and the F/A-18E Super Hornet.
The missile was developed and manufactured by the American company Raytheon. It is powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor.
The rocket is 4.11 meters long, has a diameter of 0.34 meters and a wingspan of 0.67 meters. Its launch mass is 680.4 kg.
The missile has a declared range of more than 463 km and is equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
Although photos of the AIM-424 Malice were not released until August 22, 2026, available information indicates that testing of the missile began as early as the winter of 2026.
There is currently no detailed information regarding the completion of the missile's integration with its carrier aircraft. However, published photos show that the F/A-18E Super Hornet can accommodate at least four AIM-424 Malice missiles.
The carrier-based F-35C can carry these missiles in its internal weapons bays, allowing the aircraft to maintain a low observable signature while conducting combat missions.
It is currently unknown what specific role the AIM-424 Malice will play in the US Navy's weapons inventory. The US Air Force and US Navy have traditionally developed their air-launched missiles in parallel.
Naval aviation already uses the AIM-120, while the US Navy recently unveiled and tested the long-range AIM-174 missile during an exercise. The AIM-424 Malice could potentially complement the AIM-174 or partially replace it.
In terms of design, the new missile more closely resembles conventional air-to-air missiles, while the AIM-174 was developed from the SM-6 ship-launched surface-to-air missile.
The latter is also capable of intercepting ballistic targets, making it an important component in countering Chinese anti-ship ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force is developing its own long-range AIM-260 missile. It is also intended to hit targets at long distances.
However, to date, no official data has been published on its range or other key performance characteristics.
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