Four AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missiles (LRAAM) are loaded on an F/A-18E Super Hornet for a test event. The AIM-424 LRAAM is the Department of the Navy's next-generation, long-range air-to-air missile, built to give Marine and Naval aviators the capability they need to defeat advanced threats and defend the force. (US Navy)
WASHINGTON — The Navy is creating a new long-range air-to-air missile dubbed “Malice,” according to the service, capable of hitting targets at distances exceeding 250 nautical miles (287.7 miles).
“The Department of the Navy is developing the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM), a next-generation missile intended to strengthen fleet defense and maintain a decisive air-domain overmatch against advanced threats,” the Navy said in a statement posted online over the weekend. “Also known as Malice, the LRAAM directly supports the Department’s contribution to integrated deterrence by increasing range, lethality, and combat effectiveness for Marine and Naval Aviation forces that are defending our fleets, our interests, and our homeland.”
Additional details regarding the specific capabilities and deployment timelines were not disclosed and remain classified, due to operational security concerns, the Navy told Breaking Defense today. However, the Navy said that the missile — which is 13.5 feet long with a diameter of 13.5 inches — is designed for 4th, 5th, and 6th generation aircraft platforms, according to the service’s description of the program.
