The US Navy has publicly disclosed the AIM-424 Malice, a long-range air-to-air missile intended for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighter aircraft. The missile was revealed during the Tailhook Symposium in Reno, Nevada, providing new information about a weapon being developed for future fleet air-defense requirements.Raytheon has been identified as the missile’s developer and is reportedly conducting flight testing. The weapon is expected to support aircraft including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, and the future F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter.The Navy has indicated that Malice is intended to strengthen fleet defense and provide greater air-domain advantage against increasingly capable threats. However, detailed information concerning its development schedule, operational deployment, and specific performance characteristics remains undisclosed for security reasons.The AIM-424 is reportedly a two-stage missile and may be connected to earlier long-range engagement concepts. Its design emphasizes extended reach, survivability, and flexibility for carrier-based aviation.The missile is approximately 4 meters long, with a diameter of about 0.34 meters and a wingspan of roughly 0.6 meters. It reportedly weighs around 680 kilograms and uses a solid-propellant rocket motor with a blast-fragmentation warhead.The weapon is designed to fit inside the F-35C’s internal weapons bay while also being capable of external carriage on the F/A-18E. This flexibility could allow the missile to be integrated across different generations of carrier-based fighters.Reportedly capable of engaging targets at ranges exceeding 250 nautical miles, Malice could provide significantly greater reach than several existing air-to-air missiles. The system is part of the US Navy’s broader effort to maintain long-range air-combat capabilities in response to increasingly capable adversary aircraft and missile systems.
