F-47 and the AIM-260 JATM: The Missile Built for a New Fighter

The F-47’s main air-to-air weapon is expected to be the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, a long-range missile that the United States has been developing in secret since 2017. The pairing matters because a fighter is only as dangerous as the missile it carries. China’s PL-15 is credited with more range than the American AIM-120 AMRAAM, and the AIM-260 is the answer to it. In September 2026 the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin signed an agreement to prepare for large-scale production.

Almost every performance figure is classified, for the missile and for the aircraft. This article sets out what officials have confirmed and marks the estimates clearly.

What the AIM-260 is

The AIM-260, also called JATM, is a radar-guided air-to-air missile built by Lockheed Martin for the Air Force and Navy. It is intended to succeed the AIM-120 AMRAAM, which has armed American fighters since 1991.

Two facts about it are public. It is the same size as the AMRAAM, so it fits the weapons bays of the F-22 and F-35 and the launch rails of older aircraft. And it has significantly greater range. The Air Force disclosed the programme in 2019 and said at the time that it was a response to the Chinese PL-15.

The first official images appeared only in May 2026. Range, speed, seeker type and motor design have not been released. Our earlier report on the AIM-260 production agreement covers the industrial side.

Where the programme stands in 2026

The missile is late. In 2019 the Air Force hoped to begin fielding it in 2022. As of September 2026 it was still in testing. Brig. Gen. Mark Massaro of the Air Force Test Center said on 16 September: “We’re actively testing JATM.”

A day later the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin announced a framework agreement. Lockheed described it as a “foundational agreement for a multiyear procurement contract, pending Congressional approval”. Quantities, prices and delivery dates were not disclosed. The purpose is to give suppliers the confidence to invest in capacity.

Money is already flowing. The Air Force and Navy have requested close to $670 million to buy AIM-260A missiles, according to The War Zone. The F-22 and the Navy’s F/A-18E/F are due to carry it first, followed by the F-35. Australia is the first confirmed foreign customer.

Why it matters for the F-47

The F-47 is designed to fight over long distances. Its combat radius exceeds 1,000 nautical miles on the Air Force’s own graphic, and it is supposed to win control of the air against an opponent with stealth fighters and long-range missiles of its own.

In that kind of fight, the side that can shoot first from farther away has the advantage. A stealthy aircraft with a short-ranged missile has to close in, which gives up some of the benefit of stealth. The AIM-260 is meant to remove that problem.

Because the AIM-260 matches the AMRAAM’s dimensions, the F-47’s weapons bays could carry either. How many missiles the aircraft holds has not been disclosed. We cover the wider picture in F-47 weapons.

Drones as extra magazines

The F-47 will not rely on its own bays alone. Collaborative Combat Aircraft are intended to fly ahead of it carrying air-to-air missiles, and the Air Force has discussed arming them with the AIM-260 as well as the AMRAAM.

This changes the arithmetic. A crewed fighter with internal carriage holds a limited number of missiles. If each F-47 directs two or more drones, and each drone carries missiles of its own, the formation has more shots without the crewed aircraft revealing itself by opening its bays. The pilot would select targets and the drones would fire.

The Air Force awarded production contracts for the first two CCA types, the FQ-42A and FQ-44A, in June 2026. Their weapons load has not been published in detail.

What is not known

The missile’s real range is the central unknown. Estimates in the press vary widely and none comes from an official source. Its top speed and the kind of seeker it uses are also classified.

The second unknown is the link between sensor and missile. A long-range shot is only useful if something can track the target for long enough to guide the weapon. Against a stealth aircraft that is hard. The F-47’s sensors, and the network that connects it to drones and other aircraft, matter as much as the missile’s motor.

The third is timing. The F-47 is due to fly in 2028 and to enter service around the end of the decade. The AIM-260 should be established on the F-22 well before then. If it slips further, the new fighter could arrive with the older AMRAAM as its main weapon, at least at first.

Frequently asked questions

What missile will the F-47 carry?

The AIM-260 JATM is expected to be its main air-to-air missile, alongside the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The Air Force has not published a weapons list.

What is the range of the AIM-260?

It is classified. Officials say only that it is significantly greater than the AIM-120’s.

Is the AIM-260 in service?

As of September 2026 it was still in testing. A framework agreement for multi-year production was signed that month.

Who makes the AIM-260?

Lockheed Martin.

How many missiles can the F-47 carry?

That has not been disclosed. Weapons will be carried internally to preserve stealth.

Will drones carry the AIM-260?

The Air Force has discussed it. Collaborative Combat Aircraft are intended to carry air-to-air missiles alongside crewed fighters.