U.S. Navy Tests New Long-Range ‘Malice’ Missile Designed to Strengthen Air Superiority

Key Facts

Published: August 25, 2026 Location: Washington D.C. Source: Israel Hayom, USNI News, Business Insider

• The U.S. Navy is testing the AIM-424 “Malice,” a next-generation long-range air-to-air missile.
• The missile is reportedly designed to reach roughly 250 nautical miles or more, giving U.S. aircraft far greater standoff capability.
• The weapon is expected to strengthen fleet defense as China and other adversaries expand their own long-range missile arsenals.

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The U.S. Navy has unveiled testing of the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as “Malice,” a next-generation weapon designed to give American carrier aircraft greater reach against advanced aerial threats.

The Navy said the missile is being developed to strengthen fleet defense and preserve “decisive air domain overmatch” for Navy and Marine Corps aviation forces. The weapon is intended to support integrated deterrence by increasing range, lethality, and combat effectiveness as U.S. forces prepare for increasingly contested skies.

According to Israel Hayom, the Malice missile has an estimated range of roughly 290 miles and is being tested with stealth fighters, including the F-35, allowing aircraft to engage enemy targets from far beyond traditional dogfighting distance.

USNI News reported that the missile has a claimed reach of more than 250 nautical miles and that a Navy image showed four AIM-424 missiles loaded on an F/A-18E Super Hornet for a test event.

The program comes as the Pentagon works to extend U.S. air-to-air reach in response to growing missile threats from adversaries, especially in the Indo-Pacific. Business Insider reported that the missile is expected to fit inside the F-35, preserving the aircraft’s stealth profile while giving it a much longer engagement range.

The Navy has not announced when the Malice missile will formally enter service, but its public unveiling signals a broader push to ensure American pilots can strike first, defend the fleet, and maintain air superiority in a rapidly changing battlespace.

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