US Air Force massively boosts procurement of AIM-260 air-air missiles

[F-22Raptor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1706400429171478880

https://twitter.com/x/status/1706402227806499271

 

[khansaheeb]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1706400429171478880

https://twitter.com/x/status/1706402227806499271

Means fireworks in the South China sea.

 

[Haldorss]

Did I read that right? 3 million? How much do Russia and China have?

 

[F-22Raptor]

Did I read that right? 3 million? How much do Russia and China have?

That’s $3.2 Billion through 2028

 

[Paul2]

AIM-260 looks to be very boring AIM 120 upgrade with no evidence of anything groundbreaking being used.

1. Novel materials, very likely high carbon fibre grades
2. Higher impulse grain
3. Electronics and batteries got smaller over time. Batteries are often the single biggest, and heaviest part in a munition BOM.
4. Aerodynamics can be made near perfect with supercomputers
5. As weight drops, control surfaces, and their actuators can be made smaller, and more lightweight too
6. Ballistic flight profile

It's not a stretch to believe they can add 50km to AMRAAM with just that.

Another big thing about war planning is an anticipation of usage from land based launcher. If AIM-260 is fully mechanically identical to AIM-120, no wonder it will be going to NASAMS. For static air defence, you will definitely be looking for a lot more missiles.

US airforce has not been responsible for the land based air defence in US military for many decades now, but that may well change again.

I think Ukraine war made it very very clear that a mass land based air defences stocked in thousands is an immediate, vital need for even for militaries with strong airforce.

 

[nahtanbob]

AIM-260 looks to be very boring AIM 120 upgrade with no evidence of anything groundbreaking being used.

1. Novel materials, very likely high carbon fibre grades
2. Higher impulse grain
3. Electronics and batteries got smaller over time. Batteries are often the single biggest, and heaviest part in a munition BOM.
4. Aerodynamics can be made near perfect with supercomputers
5. As weight drops, control surfaces, and their actuators can be made smaller, and more lightweight too
6. Ballistic flight profile

It's not a stretch to believe they can add 50km to AMRAAM with just that.

Another big thing about war planning is an anticipation of usage from land based launcher. If AIM-260 is fully mechanically identical to AIM-120, no wonder it will be going to NASAMS. For static air defence, you will definitely be looking for a lot more missiles.

US airforce has not been responsible for the land based air defence in US military for many decades now, but that may well change again.

I think Ukraine war made it very very clear that a mass land based air defences stocked in thousands is an immediate, vital need for even for militaries with strong airforce.

I doubt anyone save China has enough aircraft & weapons for a protracted war against USA