U.S. Unveils AIM-424 Malice: Ultra-Long-Range Missile With Range of Over 463 km
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Aviation branch has unveiled a new ultra-long-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-424 Malice, with a stated range of more than 463 km.
The relevant photographs were published by DVIDS, the official media platform of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The missile was shown 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 U.S. company Raytheon. It is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor.
The missile 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 stated range of more than 463 km and is equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
Although photographs 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, the released photographs demonstrate 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 U.S. Navy’s weapons inventory. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have traditionally developed their own air-launched missiles in parallel. Naval aviation already employs the AIM-120, while the U.S. Navy recently unveiled and test-fired the long-range AIM-174 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, whereas the AIM-174 was developed from the ship-launched SM-6 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 U.S. Air Force is developing its own long-range AIM-260 missile. It is likewise intended to engage targets at extended ranges. However, no official data on its range or other key performance characteristics have been released to date.
