The U.S. Navy has disclosed the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as Malice, as a new weapon for naval aviation aimed at extending air combat range against advanced threats. The Raytheon-built missile is intended for F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C carriers-based fighters and the future F/A-XX, with the Navy tying the programme to fleet defence and air-domain overmatch.
The fact file lists a solid-propellant rocket motor, a length of 13.5 feet, a diameter of 13.5 inches and a launch weight of 1,500 pounds. Its stated range is in excess of 250 nautical miles, or 463 kilometres, placing it among the longest-range air-to-air missiles openly identified by the service.
The disclosure followed the Tailhook Symposium in Reno, Nevada, where the weapon had already surfaced in coverage of naval aviation testing. Open details on its deployment timetable remain limited, and the Navy has not released information on production status or the full operational configuration. The missile is also linked to the service’s effort to preserve a first-look, first-shot, first-kill advantage for both Navy and Marine Corps aviation forces.