The AIM-424 Malice missile has emerged from a US Navy disclosure about a new long-range air-to-air weapon under development and flight testing. Aviation Week reported that the Navy announced the weapon at the Tailhook Symposium on August 22. The official Navy fact-file index lists the designation as AIM-424 LRAAM, or Malice, but does not provide a public technical specification sheet.

Reporting from Aviation Week and Breaking Defense places the programme in a future air-combat context. The weapon is intended for use with the F/A-18, F-35 and the planned F/A-XX family, covering fourth-, fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft. Breaking Defense reported a stated length of 13.5 feet and a diameter of 13.5 inches, while also noting that further capability and deployment details remain classified.

The limited public information is important. Neither the official listing nor the reports reviewed establish a confirmed range, propulsion configuration, manufacturer or service-entry date. Those gaps mean that search results describing a full performance profile should be treated carefully unless the Navy releases supporting documentation.

For now, AIM-424 Malice is best understood as a named US Navy development and test programme rather than an operational missile with a fully disclosed capability set. The disclosure gives observers a new designation to track and signals the Navy’s interest in longer-range air-to-air weapons, while the aircraft integration references show the programme is being considered across multiple generations of fighters.