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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

As captured by @CCFOC1, #AIM260 GS equipped a/c can be seen flying alongside a F35 on May 9. Both aircraft are participating in exercise Black Flag 25. Black Flag is an operational test-focused ex. that evaluates the suitability of emerging capabilities & tactics in operationally relevant scenarios

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

Our closest look at the AIM-260 #JATM guidance section yet. Quite a contrast to the AMRAAM with a much pointier radome and the almost non existent fins. Also distinct are the two sets of apertures covering the diameter of the section (presumably a multi-band targeting device). 📸 Colin Clark CCFOC1

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

While we have had acknowledgement of QF-16 FSAT flights to support development of the AIM-260A JATM going as far back as 2018-19, this most recent US Navy social media post appears to provide the first glimpse into #JATM - F/A-18 Super Hornet integration and test activities.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

🚨 AIM-260A live-fire testing on the F/A18 E/F is well underway giving further indication that #JATM is close to becoming, if not already, operational. USN recently recognized an officer with its Air Test & Eval Squadron 31 for leading #JATM live-fire testing back in 2024.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

This combination of a low drag design (relative to AIM-120 etc), more advanced propulsion, and more volume for propellant should give JATM a significantly greater range (more importantly NEZ and endgame performance) than the AIM-120D though other range limitations still apply.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Longer motor & ⬇️ drag may not be the only updates. USAF has been known to be researching focused lethality enhanced warheads that allows for controllable frag concentration. This may further ⬇️ weight allowing for weight parity with AMRAAM despite significantly ⬆️ propellant.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

A longer SRM motor is not the only thing going on with the JATM design shared in the graphic. It appears to be optimized for low drag. This would translate to ⬆️ performance relative to the AIM-120 for equivilant propellant/motor performance leaving even more in reserve.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

If we assume JATM has same drag of AMRAAM, and has a multi-pulse SRM with first pulse that consumes a similar amount of propellant, JATM would be able to obtain similar perf as AMRAAM while still maintaining > 1/3 (even adj. for more prop weight) of AIM120s propellent in reserve.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Assuming JATM shares the 12 foot length of the AMRAAM, the SRM could be approximately 66 in - 70 in long. This puts it between 45% and 50% of the overall length of the weapon (LM's PAC3 MSE is 48%) and approximately 15-20 in longer than AIM-120. This should allow 30-40% more propellent.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Now that we know what #JATM looks like, some impressions 👇 🔸Significant ⬆️ in Solid Rocket Motor length vs AMRAAM (45%- 50 % of total length) 🔸Low drag wingless design w/o forward aero surfaces. Similar to early AMRAAM proposals from Raytheon & Northrop 🔸Multiple conformal antennas aft of seeker

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance Software Factory has been recognized by the Department of Defense with a software innovation award. #NGAD SFT has managed and delivered a classified software & digital infrastructure portfolio..for the $22.4 Bn NGAD and CCA programs.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Back in 2020, the US Navy's Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division asked industry for multiple 16 inch diameter / 106 in long Solid Fuel Ramjet & IRR propulsion systems to support a 'demonstration program'. The Navy hasn't released much additional info on that effort.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

"Epirus will soon host a live demonstration to showcase its advanced #HPM #Leonidas counter-drone capabilities, including a "100-drone shoot down" that aims to display the company's ability to neutralize a swarm of UAS with a single, coordinated strike" insidedefense.com/daily-news/e...

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

"Th US Navy's Next Generation Air Dominance #NGAD Family of Systems (FoS) ICD [Initial Capabilities Document] was approved by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in Spring 2015 and validated by the Joint Staff in summer 2015" ~ US Navy

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

For reference, by FY27, the CCA R&D bill will exceed what the Air Force plans to spend on development of F-35 C2D2 / modernization which is expected to fall from about $1.2 Bn a year today to $980 MM in FY29. In Contrast, CCA R&D will exceed $1.5 Bn by FY27 and $3 Bn by FY28.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Collaborative Combat Aircraft are expected to be cheap and 'attritable' elements of #NGAD FoS. While they may be cheap to buy & operate, the autonomy, and other elements of CCA's will not be cheap to develop. USAF intends to spend $3 Bn in FY28 on CCA RDT&E vs $4 Bn for PCA👇

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Suffice to say that the 2023 RFP that was shared with industry included lessons learnt from a decade of tech dev, maturation & RR. Exiting TMRR & entering source selection/EMD is a big milestone. NGAD FoS: 🔸Has a huge R&D bill ($7-10 Bn / year (peak)) 🔸Expensive manned PCA

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

For those who may question the fidelity of estimates, note that we've been investing in the system since 2014- 2 years after we took delivery of last F-22A. Demonstrators were in the budget by 2014, and contracts awarded in 2016 and flying by 18/19. NGAP funded starting 2018.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Assuming the $300 MM #NGAD PCA estimate (shared by Frank Kendall) is in 2018/20$, you are looking at a 30-50% ⬆️ unit cost for #NGAD compared to F-22A (adj for same year $) . Folks forget that in FY07, the fly-away and weapon system unit cost of F-22A exceeded $130MM & $170MM respectively.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

On on a political note, I can see Congress rallying behind significant funding ⬆️ to the Air Force & perhaps even Navy's #NGAD plans. And this includes #CCA Inc 1 - 3 and #NGAS efforts which are/were linked to #NGAD but have and are likely to be split from it as distinct efforts.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

For USAF, '6 gen' is a family of systems with known & classified elements covering/enabling wide range of missions. 🔸Penetrating Long Range Strike (B21) 🔸Penetrating ISR (RQ180) 🔸Penetrating Counter Air (NGAD) 🔸CCA 🔸Classified capabilities

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

🔸This fall, the AF established a blue-ribbon committee to review program & alternate approaches given cost & emerging threats 🔸The independent committee recommended pursuing manned PCA validating AF's work 🔸SeCAF punted decision to incoming admin

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Here's where we are on USAF #NGAD. 1/3 🔸We've flown multiple demonstrators starting 2018-2020 timeframe. These have covered air-dominance (AF-PCA) & Strike (Navy) mission sets 🔸AF-PCA was ready to move to Milestone-B EMD down-select sometime this summer before it was paused for review

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

🚨#NGAD A recent internal Air Force analysis supports the development of a manned, next-gen fighter jet, 3 sources told @breakingdefense.com — a finding that comes amid a high-profile debate over the future of the multi-billion-dollar Next Gen. Air Dominance #NGAD program.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

You want a 1,000 #ATACMS for Ukraine. I want $200+ Billion invested in Long Range Fires over the next decade to help build back the arsenal of democracy and help Ukraine, Taiwan and our allies and partners. We are not the same.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

We've made a lot of progress on #NGAD over the last decade flying multiple FS demonstrators supporting USAF & Navy programs. I hope the incoming administration will green light AF's #NGAD EMD & that we have both AF (air sup) & Navy (strike) programs in full scale dev in 2025.🤞

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

"We invested ahead and delivered 4 systems in 15 months. You talked about reaching 'out to miles'. Yes, absolutely,we can do that. On our own money, we are building systems we call 'add a zero' to our baseline..We're talking 10 km..that type of range" ~Andy Lowery, #Epirus #GaN

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

"They [US Army - Cap & limitation tests] tried to get as many drones as they could that we would see overseas. They wanted to get drones that might have been hardened..against EM emissions.We had zero targets that we did not take down. We were 100% effective"~Andy Lowery, #Epirus

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

SRM dimensions (in) via General Dynamics OTS: #Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile ( #HACM ) : 19.8 x 90 AGM183 #ARRW: 25.5 x 140 OpFires (FS): 32 x 122.6 OpFires (SS): 32 x 71.6 If HACM retains the 20 ft length of DARPA's #HAWC, the cruiser & interstage would be 12.5 ft vs 19 ft on X-51 #Waverider.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

In partnership with MDA, Lockheed went from contract award to intercept flight test in < 2 yrs. This rapid integration of capabilities to demo the defense of Guam was enabled by leveraging proven systems & LM's systems engineering, production & test excellence” ~ Paul Lemmo, LM

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

"Aegis Guam System #AGS was successful in acquiring & tracking the target using the AN/TPY-6 radar, planning & conducting the missile engagement using the Aegis system, launching the SM-3IIA interceptor from VLS on Guam & intercepting the target over the broad ocean area" ~ LM

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

"Lockheed & the MDA successfully completed Flight Experiment Mission (FEM)-02 with a live exo-atmospheric intercept of a Medium-Range Ballistic Missile target using the Aegis Guam System. #FEM02 successfully demo'd defense of Guam against an air-launched MRBM. ~Lockheed Martin

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

The U.S. Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), in partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center, conducted a commercially launched Multi-Service Advanced Capability #Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB) flight test in November the DOD announced today.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

I expect the "affordable Cruise Missile" to see a major ⬆️ under the Trump administration. Partly due to need to field affordable mass & partly due to mature designs & tech. Depending on the capability sought, this could mean a $20-$25 Bn effort to field an inventory of 100K AUR's.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Literally everyone in the A&D media over the last decade : Look at China’s long range A2A missile. The US is so behind the curve. Raytheon:

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

"During a recent captive carry test, Lockheed's RIG-360 uplinker prototype provided target updates to a data link being evaluated for experimental use on MLRS Family of Munitions. The data link was flown inside an aircraft replicating the rocket’s surface to surface trajectory"

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

Lockheed Martin has successfully demonstrated a proof-of-concept for providing in-flight target updates to a #GMLRS rocket via its Remote Interceptor Guidance – 360 (#RIG360) system originally designed around PATRIOT/IAMD missile communication.

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AirPower (MIL-STD) @mil-std.bsky.social · 12/10/2023

"Whether its HPM, Laser systems, low collateral CUAS interceptors..all are present in theater & showing success. We've used a $40K APKWS system to take out Group 3 UAS. We've sent several of those prototypes to support some of our partners" ~ Major Gen. Sean Gainey #AUSA2023

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