US unleashes ‘Malice’: F-35C gets a 463-km air-to-air strike reach
The US Navy has unveiled the AIM-424 'Malice,' a long-range air-to-air missile designed for internal carriage within the F-35C stealth fighter. This new weapon significantly extends the engagement range of the aircraft while maintaining its low-observable stealth profile.
Why it matters
The development represents a major leap in aerial warfare capabilities, allowing stealth fighters to engage targets from distances exceeding 463 km.
The US Navy has revealed a new very-long-range air-to-air missile designed to fit inside the F-35C’s internal weapons bay, potentially giving the stealth fighter a reach of more than 463 km against airborne targets without sacrificing its low-observable configuration.The AIM-424, also known as Malice, has already appeared in testing. US Navy imagery shows an instrumentation round inside an F-35C weapons bay, while four AIM-424 missiles have been photographed mounted on an F/A-18E Super Hornet.Developed by Raytheon, the AIM-424 is significantly larger and heavier than the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The Navy lists it at 4.11 metres long, 0.34 metres in diameter and 680 kg in weight. It uses a solid-propellant rocket motor and has a stated range of more than 250 nautical miles, or 463 km.What AIM-424 changes for the F-35CThe F-35C currently uses the AIM-120 AMRAAM as its principal beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
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