The U.S. Air Force has conducted the longest ranged air-to-air engagement on record using the AIM-120 missile, which is relied on by the United States and its strategic partners across the world as the Western Bloc’s primary class of beyond visual range anti-aircraft weapon. The missile’s producer Raytheon announced the achievement on September 16, with the upgrade to the missile having been trialled at Eglin Air Force Base in the Autumn of 2024 using an F-22 fighter as the launch platform. The engagement validated an extended flight profile for the AIM-120, confirming that new upgrades under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) program has been successful in significantly improving its performance. The variant tested was the new AIM-120D3, which was developed in the 2010s specifically to respond to advances in China’s own air-to-air missile capabilities, most significantly the development of the PL-15 to equip its new J-20 fifth generation fighters.
Entering service in 1991, the AIM-120’s range was originally restricted to approximately 70 kilometres, with its primary advantage over the preceding Vietnam War era AIM-7 being its introduction of active rather than semi-active radar guidance, which reduced reliance on guidance from accompanying aircraft. Significant shortcomings with the AIM-7 both during the Vietnam War and during the Gulf War in 1991 made the AIM-120’s entry into service a highly welcome development. The missile program was considered particularly urgent due to the advanced new capabilities of the R-27ER/ET air-to-air missiles deployed by the Soviet Union’s prime air superiority fighter the Su-27 at the time. The AIM-120D3’s range is today estimated to be close to triple that of the original AIM-120A variant with the latest enhancements, which effectively complements the much increased levels of situational awareness of the new F-35 fifth generation fighters that form the elite of the American and allied fleets. The F-35 is much more capable than previous aircraft of guiding missiles towards very distant targets.
There remains a significant possibility that the software changes made to facilitate a much longer range for the AIM-120D benefitted from research and development work done to produce a new more capable class of air-to-air missile, the AIM-260.Te newer missile began development in 2017 specifically as a response to China’s fielding of the new PL-15, and is reported to be close to entering serial production. Despite its improved range, it remains uncertain how close the AIM-120D’s reach has come to comparing with those of the much newer PL-15 and AIM-260.
Although Russia has remained behind the United States and China in the capabilities of its air-to-air missiles, the country has recently brought the new R-77M into service, which had a longer range than the AIM-120D before the latest software upgrades. The latest upgrades may help to ensure a continued range advantage over Russian fighter units even for units that are not equipped with the AIM-260. The AIM-120 is expected to continue to be hampered by a number of shortcomings compared to newer missile classes, most notably its lack of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar in its seeker, which leaves the missile more vulnerable to jamming and with a reduced ability to lock onto stealth targets. The PL-15 and AIM-260 are both thought to integrate such radars.