Lockheed Martin and U.S. Department of War Sign Framework Agreement to Accelerate AIM-260 Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile Production as Pentagon Replenishes Depleted Stockpiles

Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Department of War signed a framework agreement on September 17, 2026 to rapidly accelerate production and delivery of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, a next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air weapon developed largely in secret over the past six years. The agreement establishes a multi-year procurement strategy to expand AIM-260 manufacturing capacity across the defense industrial base, addressing long-standing inventory scaling needs for advanced air-to-air capabilities destined for F-22, F-35, and Collaborative Combat Aircraft platforms. Lockheed Martin describes the AIM-260 as the most sophisticated air dominance missile, capable of deterring and defeating current and projected enemy air threats with increased range and effectiveness over the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the weapon it is designed to replace. The exact range is classified, but defense analysts expect it to outrange the AIM-120D-3's 75 to 100 miles. The disclosure comes as the U.S. moves to replenish weapons stockpiles depleted by the Iran war. Australia has committed approximately $521 million to purchase AIM-260 missiles, though the number of units and per-missile cost were not specified. A VX-31 F/A-18F was photographed carrying what appeared to be a live AIM-260A on May 13, 2026, and the weapon is intended for integration with future Collaborative Combat Aircraft. This matters because the U.S. is openly acknowledging a strategic air-to-air missile gap against China's PL-15 and PL-17 long-range missiles, and the AIM-260 is Washington's answer to restore air dominance. The framework agreement signals the Pentagon is moving the weapon from low-rate initial production into full-rate manufacturing, and the Australia commitment shows the U.S. is extending AIM-260 access to close allies to build interoperability and distributed lethality across the Indo-Pacific. For air forces, this is the first real replacement for AMRAAM in over three decades, and the classified r