AirPower (MIL-STD)
@mil-std.bsky.social
Old radar types never die; they just phased array!
Aerospace, Defense and NatSec related content
#OpenSource. No affiliations to govt., media or industry
Aerospace, Defense and NatSec related content
#OpenSource. No affiliations to govt., media or industry
As captured by @CCFOC1, #AIM260 GS equipped a/c can be seen flying alongside a F35 on May 9. Both aircraft are participating in exercise Black Flag 25. Black Flag is an operational test-focused ex. that evaluates the suitability of emerging capabilities & tactics in operationally relevant scenarios
May 10, 2025 at 3:26 PM
As captured by @CCFOC1, #AIM260 GS equipped a/c can be seen flying alongside a F35 on May 9. Both aircraft are participating in exercise Black Flag 25. Black Flag is an operational test-focused ex. that evaluates the suitability of emerging capabilities & tactics in operationally relevant scenarios
Now that we know what #JATM looks like, some impressions 👇
🔸Significant ⬆️ in Solid Rocket Motor length vs AMRAAM (45%- 50 % of total length)
🔸Low drag wingless design w/o forward aero surfaces. Similar to early AMRAAM proposals from Raytheon & Northrop
🔸Multiple conformal antennas aft of seeker
🔸Significant ⬆️ in Solid Rocket Motor length vs AMRAAM (45%- 50 % of total length)
🔸Low drag wingless design w/o forward aero surfaces. Similar to early AMRAAM proposals from Raytheon & Northrop
🔸Multiple conformal antennas aft of seeker
May 10, 2025 at 12:13 PM
I should clarify, this is 'my first/closest look' of JATM GS. There's plenty of publicly available imagery of the AIM-260 guidance section going back several years. None of it surfaced in the media at the time even though it was openly available.
Another from 2021 -
www.flickr.com/photos/jetma...
Another from 2021 -
www.flickr.com/photos/jetma...
CRJ700_N804X_2021-04-28-3
www.flickr.com
May 10, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I should clarify, this is 'my first/closest look' of JATM GS. There's plenty of publicly available imagery of the AIM-260 guidance section going back several years. None of it surfaced in the media at the time even though it was openly available.
Another from 2021 -
www.flickr.com/photos/jetma...
Another from 2021 -
www.flickr.com/photos/jetma...
While we have had acknowledgement of QF-16 FSAT flights to support development of the AIM-260A JATM going as far back as 2018-19, this most recent US Navy social media post appears to provide the first glimpse into #JATM - F/A-18 Super Hornet integration and test activities.
March 7, 2025 at 10:44 PM
While we have had acknowledgement of QF-16 FSAT flights to support development of the AIM-260A JATM going as far back as 2018-19, this most recent US Navy social media post appears to provide the first glimpse into #JATM - F/A-18 Super Hornet integration and test activities.
That’s the mother of all mission creeps. JATM needs to be a better to significantly better AIM to defeat LO and ECM equipped threats at greater ranges than AMRAAM. That’s its purpose.
March 3, 2025 at 2:32 PM
That’s the mother of all mission creeps. JATM needs to be a better to significantly better AIM to defeat LO and ECM equipped threats at greater ranges than AMRAAM. That’s its purpose.
Neither of those are its intended targets. It is replacing the Aim-120
March 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Neither of those are its intended targets. It is replacing the Aim-120
You can see the targeting devices are pretty prominently featured on the missile graphic just set of the seeker.
March 3, 2025 at 12:26 PM
You can see the targeting devices are pretty prominently featured on the missile graphic just set of the seeker.
It’s also confirmed to be largely of similar size to the AMRAAM so a 12 ft length and 7 dis is pretty much certain.
March 3, 2025 at 12:09 PM
It’s also confirmed to be largely of similar size to the AMRAAM so a 12 ft length and 7 dis is pretty much certain.
This combination of a low drag design (relative to AIM-120 etc), more advanced propulsion, and more volume for propellant should give JATM a significantly greater range (more importantly NEZ and endgame performance) than the AIM-120D though other range limitations still apply.
March 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
This combination of a low drag design (relative to AIM-120 etc), more advanced propulsion, and more volume for propellant should give JATM a significantly greater range (more importantly NEZ and endgame performance) than the AIM-120D though other range limitations still apply.
Longer motor & ⬇️ drag may not be the only updates. USAF has been known to be researching focused lethality enhanced warheads that allows for controllable frag concentration. This may further ⬇️ weight allowing for weight parity with AMRAAM despite significantly ⬆️ propellant.
March 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Longer motor & ⬇️ drag may not be the only updates. USAF has been known to be researching focused lethality enhanced warheads that allows for controllable frag concentration. This may further ⬇️ weight allowing for weight parity with AMRAAM despite significantly ⬆️ propellant.
A longer SRM motor is not the only thing going on with the JATM design shared in the graphic. It appears to be optimized for low drag. This would translate to ⬆️ performance relative to the AIM-120 for equivilant propellant/motor performance leaving even more in reserve.
March 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
A longer SRM motor is not the only thing going on with the JATM design shared in the graphic. It appears to be optimized for low drag. This would translate to ⬆️ performance relative to the AIM-120 for equivilant propellant/motor performance leaving even more in reserve.
If we assume JATM has same drag of AMRAAM, and has a multi-pulse SRM with first pulse that consumes a similar amount of propellant, JATM would be able to obtain similar perf as AMRAAM while still maintaining > 1/3 (even adj. for more prop weight) of AIM120s propellent in reserve.
March 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
If we assume JATM has same drag of AMRAAM, and has a multi-pulse SRM with first pulse that consumes a similar amount of propellant, JATM would be able to obtain similar perf as AMRAAM while still maintaining > 1/3 (even adj. for more prop weight) of AIM120s propellent in reserve.
Assuming JATM shares the 12 foot length of the AMRAAM, the SRM could be approximately 66 in - 70 in long. This puts it between 45% and 50% of the overall length of the weapon (LM's PAC3 MSE is 48%) and approximately 15-20 in longer than AIM-120. This should allow 30-40% more propellent.
March 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Assuming JATM shares the 12 foot length of the AMRAAM, the SRM could be approximately 66 in - 70 in long. This puts it between 45% and 50% of the overall length of the weapon (LM's PAC3 MSE is 48%) and approximately 15-20 in longer than AIM-120. This should allow 30-40% more propellent.
For reference, by FY27, the CCA R&D bill will exceed what the Air Force plans to spend on development of F-35 C2D2 / modernization which is expected to fall from about $1.2 Bn a year today to $980 MM in FY29. In Contrast, CCA R&D will exceed $1.5 Bn by FY27 and $3 Bn by FY28.
January 1, 2025 at 5:21 PM
For reference, by FY27, the CCA R&D bill will exceed what the Air Force plans to spend on development of F-35 C2D2 / modernization which is expected to fall from about $1.2 Bn a year today to $980 MM in FY29. In Contrast, CCA R&D will exceed $1.5 Bn by FY27 and $3 Bn by FY28.