US Navy unveils new long-range air-to-air missile for carrier defense

The US Navy has unveiled a new long-range air-to-air missile, designated AIM-424 and nicknamed Malice, meant to strengthen fleet air defenses. It's the second long-range air-to-air weapon the service has revealed in two years.

The Navy says the missile has a range exceeding 250 nautical miles, with Raytheon named as prime contractor. Images released by the service show four missiles carried externally by a Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, and a single round loaded into the internal weapons bay of a Lockheed Martin F-35C, the carrier variant of the fighter.

The Navy described the program as a next-generation air intercept missile intended to preserve an advantage over advanced threats and support integrated deterrence efforts protecting fleets and national interests. Officials said the weapon works with fourth-generation aircraft such as the Super Hornet as well as fifth-generation jets like the F-35, and is expected to eventually be carried by the Navy's future F/A-XX fighter.

The AIM-424 follows the AIM-174B, a long-range weapon adapted from the ship-launched SM-6 that the Navy unveiled roughly two years earlier. Published figures show the new missile is notably lighter and shorter than its predecessor: about 680 kilograms versus 830 kilograms, and 4.1 meters compared with 5 meters.

The smaller dimensions appear meant to let the missile fit inside the F-35C's internal bay, preserving the jet's stealth profile. The reduced weight, meanwhile, could extend range or payload options for launching aircraft. No timeline for operational deployment was given in the disclosure.