U.S. Navy unveils AIM-424 Malice long-range missile

The U.S. Navy has unveiled the AIM-424 Malice, a sophisticated ultra-long-range air-to-air missile developed by Raytheon. Designed to enhance fleet defense and maintain air superiority against advanced threats, the missile features a solid-propellant rocket motor and a highly explosive fragmentation warhead.

A key strategic advantage of the AIM-424 is its ability to be integrated into the internal weapons bays of the F-35C Lightning II. This allows the aircraft to engage targets at extreme distances—exceeding 463 kilometers (250 nautical miles)—without compromising its stealth capabilities. While the F/A-18E Super Hornet can also utilize the weapon, the F-35C's ability to carry it internally provides a unique combination of long-range strike capability and low detectability.

The missile measures approximately 4.11 meters in length, 0.34 meters in diameter, and weighs roughly 680 kilograms at launch. The deployment of this technology is intended to provide naval pilots with a significant distance advantage in contested environments, such as the Pacific theater.