Just a few months after receiving the corresponding authorization from the United States, Australia is now celebrating the approval of the sale of new AIM-260A long-range air-to-air missiles to equip its combat aircraft, for which it will need to invest a total of US$3.16 billion. According to information currently published on the official website of the U.S. Congress, this would enable the sale of approximately 450 units, making the island nation the first international customer of this new weapon system.
Expanding on the details, it can be mentioned that the recently approved sale not only includes the aforementioned 450 AIM-260A missiles, but also includes 5 additional units for integration testing and another 30 guided test rounds. In all cases, they have been classified under the Major Defense Equipment category, which distinguishes them from related secondary equipment. The latter includes various types of spare parts and consumables, missile storage containers, communication systems, and elements related to technical support to ensure proper integration. This last group of included equipment amounts to a cost of US$550 million of the aforementioned total.
Referring to this, the official documentation states: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the Western Pacific (…) The proposed sale will improve Australia’s capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring that Australia has modern and capable air-to-air munitions that enhance interoperability between the United States and the Royal Australian Air Force (…) The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
Additionally, it is detailed that the main contractor for the operation will be Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, which is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. On the other hand, as is customary in this type of operation, the U.S. government clarified that it will not be necessary to deploy additional representatives to Australia, nor is it expected that additional offset agreements will be required to carry it out.
For now, it is worth recalling that the AIM-260A missiles have been kept under strict secrecy by Washington, which has prevented detailed knowledge of their main characteristics. So far, it is known that the missile has been under development since 2017 as a response to China’s PL-15 and PL-17 systems and as a replacement for the current AIM-120 AMRAAM models. According to current analyst estimates, its range would be between 160 and 300 kilometers, while it is expected to be compatible with F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-22, and F-35 fighters; in the future, they are also expected to be integrated into sixth-generation F-47 aircraft.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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