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The agreement lays the foundations for a future multi-year procurement of the secretive AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), allowing Lockheed Martin and its suppliers to begin investing in an expanded production capacity.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Lockheed Martin signed the framework agreement intended to substantially increase production capacity for the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), the highly secretive next-generation air-to-air missile in development with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy as primary customers.

Announced on Sept. 17, 2026, the agreement establishes the groundwork for a future Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) contract while providing Lockheed Martin and its own suppliers with the assurance of long-term demand to allow investment in additional manufacturing capacity. MYP contracts are deals where equipment purchases are agreed in blocks of several years at a time, though each MYP contract requires Congressional approval. These provide greater stability for suppliers and ensures a steady supply of equipment each year, uninterrupted by the possible snags that could come from placing yearly contracts. 

.@LockheedMartin and the @DeptofWar have signed a framework agreement to accelerate production of the AIM‑260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). The deal accelerates delivery of the missile, expands multiyear procurement capacity and supports global deterrence. Click below:

— Lockheed Martin News (@LMNews) September 17, 2026

No specific production target was announced alongside the news, and neither Lockheed Martin nor the DoD disclosed any potential contract value or a timeframe for the planned increase in production.

“This agreement builds on years of collaboration to deliver this critical air dominance capability to the warfighter,” said Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We will deliver JATM at the speed our nation and allies demand while providing value for taxpayers and our shareholders.”

Australia is boosting its aerial defence capabilities, with the Albanese Government investing almost $736 million to acquire the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) for the @AusAirForce‘s F/A-18F Super Hornet, F-35A Lightning II and EA-18G Growler.

The acquisition… pic.twitter.com/nEsxfNq9l9

— Senator Raff Ciccone (@SenRaffCiccone) August 10, 2026

The DoD specifically highlighted the potential for the increased production capacity to support Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This follows Australia’s recent announcement that it would become the first international operator of the AIM-260. Other export deals are almost certainly expected to follow. 

It is important to note that this agreement is not itself a firm deal or contract for missile production, but simply acts as the framework for the contracts that are sure to be awarded in due course. 

“Lockheed Martin has signed a framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War to rapidly accelerate the production and delivery of the AIM-260, Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). This agreement forms the foundational agreement for a multiyear procurement contract,… pic.twitter.com/foCPfTaO7g

— Air-Power | NatSec Ledger (@NatSecLedger) September 17, 2026

The U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor and the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet are expected to be the JATM’s initial launch platforms, with integration also planned for the F-35 Lightning II and F-15EX Eagle II. Future platforms like the Boeing F-47 will undoubtedly also carry some form of the JATM, and the weapon may also find its way onto legacy fighters, particularly if – as has been mooted – the U.S. Air Force begins the procurement of more F-16 Fighting Falcons for the first time in over two decades. 

As collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) like the FQ-42 Vengenace, FQ-44 Fury, MQ-28 Ghost Bat, and many others become more and more commonplace in the U.S. and allied air forces, the JATM could equally find a home on these uncrewed ‘loyal wingmen’. 

AIM-260 JATM

Development of the AIM-260 was first publicly revealed in 2019, though work on the programme reportedly began around two years earlier.

At a glance AIM-260 seems to be dimensionally similar to AIM-120 https://t.co/F6cmDdbdqo pic.twitter.com/higwoB7mpU

— Strategic Trends (@StrategicTrends) May 15, 2026

Designed as a successor or supplement to the ubiquitous AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), in service since 1991, the JATM programme was initiated in response to the development of increasingly capable long-range air-to-air missiles by Russia and, more specifically, China. 

Many details about the weapon remain classified, though earlier this year we did get our first look at an actual AIM-260. Based on the AIM-120D-3’s estimated range of around 160-180 kilometres and potential further development still possible, the JATM’s endurance can be estimated to be in excess of 200 kilometres. Its planned date for operational deployment is also unknown. 

Everyone, meet the AIM-424 Malice: https://t.co/T8lEyIpZmK pic.twitter.com/v7jNJ95tUU

— Brian Everstine (@beverstine) August 23, 2026

Interestingly, as we now know, the U.S. Navy apparently intends to field the JATM alongside another long range air to air missile, the AIM-424 Malice. It is unclear whether the U.S. Navy’s AIM-174B missile, essentially an air-launched SM-6 developed under the ‘Gunslinger’ project, will also go on to serve in the long term alongside these long range anti-air munitions or whether it exists primarily as a stopgap measure until the JATM and Malice are operational and mature.