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The U.S. Navy is developing a brand-new, extra-long-range missile designed to shoot down enemy aircraft before they can get close enough to threaten American fighter jets or aircraft carriers.
The department announced the new weapon on Aug. 22, saying the next-generation AIM-424 LRAAM is nicknamed “MALICE.”
The weapon is designed to be fired from a jet to target enemy aircraft or drones at extreme distances in the air.
In practice, American pilots will be able to detect an enemy on radar, launch the missile from extreme ranges and destroy the target before coming within close proximity to the enemy, potentially increasing the pilot’s survivability.
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“LRAAM sustains the Department’s first look, first shot, first kill advantage by providing our aviators greater reach, greater survivability, and greater tactical flexibility in the air-to-air fight,” the Navy said.
The missile is designed to increase the “range, lethality, and combat effectiveness for Marine and Naval aviation forces,” officials added.
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Its range is listed as “in excess” of 250 nautical miles, or roughly 287 statute miles. That is a massive distance for an air-to-air missile, allowing jets to protect an entire fleet from far over the horizon.
At 13.5 feet long and weighing 1,500 pounds, the missile is significantly larger and heavier than standard medium-range air-to-air missiles. In comparison, the AIM-120 AMRAAM weighs about 335 pounds, underscoring the size of the propulsion system needed to propel the LRAAM to extreme distances.
The missile is also equipped with a blast-fragmentation warhead, meaning it does not necessarily have to score a direct physical hit. Instead, it detonates near the target, sending fragments outward to destroy or disable the aircraft.
Officials said the missile is compatible with aircraft across multiple generations, including fourth and fifth-generation fighters as well as future sixth-generation aircraft.
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The LRAAM is being developed by Raytheon, one of the U.S. military’s primary defense contractors.
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