[US]Air Force Developing AMRAAM Replacement to Counter China

F-35 Armament, fuel tanks, internal and external hardpoints, loadouts, and other stores.
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by spazsinbad » 21 Jun 2019, 04:10

Air Force Developing AMRAAM Replacement to Counter China
20 Jun 2019 Rachel S. Cohen

"DAYTON, Ohio—The Air Force is developing a new air-to-air missile, dubbed the AIM-260, that offers longer range than Raytheon’s Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and would be used to counter the Chinese PL-15 weapon. Air Force Weapons Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo told reporters in a June 20 interview here the service is working with Lockheed Martin, the Army, and the Navy to field the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile in 2022. Work began about two years ago.

“It has a range greater than AMRAAM, different capabilities onboard to go after that specific [next generation air-dominance] threat set, but certainly longer legs,” he said. “As I bring up JATM production, AMRAAM production is kind of going to start tailing off.”

The weapon is initially planned to fly in the F-22’s main weapons bay and on the Navy’s F/A-18, with the F-35 to follow. Flight tests will begin in 2021 and initial operational capability is slated for 2022, Genatempo said. “It is meant to be the next air-to-air air dominance weapon for our air-to-air fighters,” he said.

The Air Force will buy its last AMRAAMs in fiscal 2026 as JATM ramps up, answering combatant commanders’ needs, Genatempo said.... He expects JATM could be in production as long as AMRAAM, which was first deployed in 1991."

Source: http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pag ... China.aspx


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by marauder2048 » 21 Jun 2019, 04:38

Some interesting test footprint comparisons at the Gulf Test Range.
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gulf-test-range-amraam-jatm.png


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by citanon » 21 Jun 2019, 09:59

Somebody neglected to use the search function like he always tells other people to do:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=55731

:mrgreen:


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by spazsinbad » 21 Jun 2019, 16:50

Lockheed Quietly Developing AIM-260 To Counter Chinese PL-15
20 Jun 2019 Steve Trimble

"...The AIM-260 is scheduled to begin flight testing in 2021 and achieve initial operational capability in 2022, said Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo, the Air Force’s program executive officer for weapons. The disclosure, during a June 20 interview with Aerospace DAILY on the sidelines of Life Cycle Industry Days here, reveals a major initiative that had been cloaked in secrecy for more than two years....

...Few details about the AIM-260 are disclosed. Genatempo called the weapon “JATM,” which is understood to stand for the Joint Air Tactical Missile (JATM). He noted the weapon does not use ramjet propulsion, and is compatible with the form-factor of the AIM-120.

This journalist asked how the AIM-260 achieves significantly greater range than the AIM-120D, yet is closely similar in size. Asked if the weapon uses a more efficient motor or propellant or if it perhaps employs a smaller weapon to accommodate additional fuel volume, Genatempo replied that each of those options are in the trade space for achieving greater range.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is continuing to investigate additional next generation missiles, such as the Miniature Self-Defense Munition and Small Advanced Capability Missile (SACM), Genatempo says."

Source: https://aviationweek.com/defense/lockhe ... nese-pl-15


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by mixelflick » 21 Jun 2019, 17:09

If flight testing starts in 2021, isn't 2022 as operational awful optimistic?

I'm thinking of how long it took AMRAAM and specifically, the AIM-120D to get through testing and to operational units..


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by wrightwing » 21 Jun 2019, 18:26

mixelflick wrote:If flight testing starts in 2021, isn't 2022 as operational awful optimistic?

I'm thinking of how long it took AMRAAM and specifically, the AIM-120D to get through testing and to operational units..

A lot of the technologies have likely been tested already, to help facilitate operational testing.



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