Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile

Australia has committed roughly A$736 million to acquire the AIM-260 JATM, becoming the only country outside the United States cleared to field the classified long-range air-to-air missile, with integration on the F/A-18F first, then the F-35A and EA-18G. The purchase addresses the RAAF's shrinking beyond-visual-range margin against PLAAF aircraft carrying the PL-15 and PL-17, where existing AMRAAM stocks are outranged. Access to a weapon still entering US service also signals a depth of technology-sharing that goes beyond routine FMS and offers a benchmark for what AUKUS Pillar 2-style cooperation can deliver in practice.