Australia Becomes First Foreign Buyer of US AIM-260 Advanced Air-to-Air Missile
Australia announced a A$736 million ($518m) investment to become the first nation outside the United States to acquire the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles made the announcement at Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin on August 6, 2026. The missiles will be integrated onto RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets, F-35A Lightning IIs, and EA-18G Growlers, with potential future use on MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones. The acquisition is part of Australia’s record A$36 billion decade-long guided weapons investment, aimed at countering advanced threats like China’s PL-15 missile and enhancing interoperability with US forces.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page itself is projected from evidence records.
- Current automated evidence projection
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
Australia Becomes First International Buyer of Secretive AIM-260 JATM Missiles
Australia has committed to purchasing the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), becoming the first non-US user of the highly secretive air-to-air missile. The decision, reported by Breaking Defense, marks a significant deepening of US-Australia defense cooperation and enhances the Royal Australian Air Force's beyond-visual-range air combat capabilities. The AIM-260 is designed to counter advanced threats and will be integrated into Australia's F-35A and F/A-18F fighter jets. This procurement aligns with Australia's strategic focus on maintaining air superiority in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing regional military modernization. Specific details about the missile's performance, cost, and delivery timeline remain classified.
Australia Commits to Buying Secretive AIM-260 JATM Missiles, First Non-US User
Australia has committed to purchasing the AIM-260 Joint Air-to-Air Tactical Missile (JATM), becoming the first non-US user of this advanced, secretive weapon system. The decision, reported by Breaking Defense, marks a significant step in Australia's defense modernization and deepens its military cooperation with the United States. The AIM-260 is designed to counter emerging threats and provide a next-generation air combat capability, with details of its specifications largely classified. This acquisition aligns with Australia's strategic focus on maintaining air superiority in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in light of growing regional military capabilities. The move also underscores the close defense ties between Canberra and Washington under the AUKUS partnership and broader alliance frameworks.
Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile
Australia will become the first nation outside the United States to field the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), following a nearly A$736 million (approximately $480 million) procurement announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles during Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin. The missiles, acquired through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, will first be integrated onto the RAAF's F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet, then the F-35A and EA-18G Growler, with the MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone as a likely future platform. The AIM-260 is a highly classified, next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile designed to succeed the AIM-120 AMRAAM, offering substantially greater range (reportedly at least 120 miles) and improved performance against advanced threats, specifically in response to China's PL-15 missile. The integration on the EA-18G appears to be a new announcement. This acquisition is part of Australia's record defense investment, including up to A$36 billion over the next decade for guided weapons and explosive ordnance.
Show 4 older updatesHide older updates
Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile
Australia will become the first nation outside the United States to field the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), following a nearly A$736 million (approximately $480 million) procurement announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles during Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin. The missiles, acquired through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, will first be integrated onto the RAAF's F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet, then the F-35A and EA-18G Growler, with the MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft as a likely future platform. The AIM-260 is a highly classified, next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile designed to succeed the AIM-120 AMRAAM, offering substantially greater range (reportedly at least 120 miles) and improved performance against advanced threats, specifically to counter China's rapidly advancing PL-15 missile. The acquisition is part of Australia's record A$36 billion investment over the next decade for guided weapons and explosive ordnance.
Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile
Australia will become the first nation outside the United States to field the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), following a nearly A$736 million (approximately $480 million) procurement announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles during Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin. The missiles, acquired through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, will first be integrated onto the RAAF's F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet, then the F-35A and EA-18G Growler, with the MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone as a likely future platform. The AIM-260, developed by the U.S. Navy and Air Force, is designed to succeed the AIM-120 AMRAAM with substantially greater range (reportedly at least 120 miles) and improved performance against advanced threats, specifically to counter China's long-range PL-15 air-to-air missile. The acquisition is part of Australia's record A$36 billion investment over the next decade for guided weapons and explosive ordnance, aimed at maintaining an edge in beyond-visual-range air combat in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia becomes first foreign buyer of AIM-260 JATM with $518m investment
Australia has announced a A$736m ($518m) investment to become the first nation outside the United States to acquire the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles at Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin on 6 August 2026. The missiles will be sourced via the US Foreign Military Sales program and initially integrated with the Royal Australian Air Force's F/A-18F Super Hornets, followed by the F-35A Lightning II and EA-18G Growler. The Australian Department of Defence stated the missile will provide a credible deterrent against airborne targets and enhance interoperability with the US. The acquisition aligns with the 2026 National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program, part of a record A$36 billion investment over the next decade for guided weapons and explosive ordnance.
Australia becomes first foreign buyer of AIM-260 JATM with $518m investment
Australia has announced a A$736m ($518m) investment to become the first nation outside the United States to acquire the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles at Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin on 6 August 2026. The missiles will be procured via the US Foreign Military Sales program and initially integrated with the Royal Australian Air Force's F/A-18F Super Hornets, followed by the F-35A Lightning II and EA-18G Growler. The Australian Department of Defence stated the missile will provide a credible deterrent against airborne targets and enhance interoperability with the US. The acquisition aligns with the 2026 National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program, part of a record A$36 billion decade-long investment in guided weapons and explosive ordnance.