The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin on Thursday signed an agreement for the Texas-based defense giant to fast-track production and delivery of its next-generation AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.
The Defense Department said the deal will ensure long-term demand signals for key suppliers, letting Lockheed Martin and key subcontractors develop the needed workforce and invest in manufacturing capacity.
“Speed, scale and stability drive acquisition excellence, and these gears must turn in unison,” said Michael P. Duffey, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
Lockheed Martin said the JATM will outperform any projected air threats, such as China’s Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter and PL-15 air-to-air missile. The JATM has a maximum effective range of at least 120 miles.
Pentagon officials said Thursday’s announcement reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to sending long-term demand signals to the defense industry to ensure that troops receive “unmatched capability exactly when and where the mission demands.”
The Defense Department called the JATM “the nation’s highest-priority missile system.” The agreement with Lockheed Martin will also establish a framework for future multiyear procurement deals to produce the missiles.
“This agreement builds on years of collaboration to deliver this critical air dominance capability to the warfighter,” said Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control Division.
The JATM will initially supplement and eventually replace the older AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile. It’s designed to fit inside the internal weapons bays of stealth fighters like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, officials said.
The Navy and Air Force will add the JATM to their weapons inventory.
Australia recently announced a $736 million JATM deal for its air force.
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