Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Strike Deal to Expand Production of AIM-260 Air-to-Air Missile

A September 17 agreement between the Defense Department and Lockheed Martin puts a long-secret successor to the AMRAAM on a faster production footing for the U.S. military's newest fighters.

September 17, 202620:221 min read

Pentagon, Lockheed to Expand Production of Secretive New Joint Advanced Tactical Missile

Air & Space Forces Magazine

The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin announced on September 17, 2026, that they have agreed to scale up production of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, an advanced air-to-air weapon that has spent most of its development life out of the public eye★. The deal formalizes a multi-year procurement strategy intended to accelerate deliveries of a missile now positioned as a core armament for the Air Force and Navy's most capable aircraft★.

The AIM-260 has been developed largely in secret over the past six years, and public details about its range, seeker technology, and exact performance envelope remain limited★.

A Production Push for Next-Generation Air Combat

By locking in a multi-year production path now, the Defense Department aims to ensure pilots flying advanced platforms will have sufficient quantities of a missile built to match them. Further technical details about the AIM-260 are expected to remain classified for the foreseeable future, given the program's history of strict information controls★.

★ AI inference: One or more analytical conclusions in this article were drawn by the AI from cited facts and are not directly stated in the cited sources.

Editorial auditpublish

This is a clean, factually grounded briefing on a timely defense procurement announcement. The headline accurately reflects the body, the framing is straightforward and neutral, and both primary sources are cited appropriately. There is a slight pro-establishment lean inherent in covering a defense deal without critical counterpoint — for example, no independent analyst voices on cost, strategic necessity, or program risk — but this is consistent with a news-brief format rather than a feature, and does not rise to an editorial defect requiring revision. The piece is ready to publish.

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Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Strike Deal to Expand Production of AIM-260 Air-to-Air Missile

A Production Push for Next-Generation Air Combat

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