항공무장 미공군, 사거리 1천해리 이상의 공대공/공대지 스탠드오프 무장 (AFLRW) 개발 요청

[위종민]

미공군이 사거리 1천해리 이상의, 공대공 및 공대지 스탠드오프 무기 개발을 추진하네요. 6월 24일 미공군 AFLCMC가 공고를 올렸습니다. 공고에선 경제성은 강조되지 않았고, 미공군은 염가 순항미사일인 FAMM 개발 계획을 추진중입니다. 

사거리 1천해리보다도 공대공, 공대지 겸용이라는 게 더 신기하네요 ㄷㄷ 

미 공군, 사거리 1,000해리급 신형 스탠드오프 미사일 추진

미 공군은 중국의 PL-15 미사일 사거리 안에 들어가게 된 미국 전투기의 우위를 회복하기 위해, 매우 긴 사거리를 가진 AIM-260 JATM을 기대하고 있다.

2026년 6월 25일

미 공군은 최소 1,150마일(약 1,000해리)의 사거리로 공대공 및 공대지 표적을 모두 타격할 수 있는 파생형을 갖춘 새로운 '미 공군 장거리 무기(Air Force Long Range Weapon·AFLRW)'를 추진하고 있다.

이는 미 공군 생명주기관리센터(AFLCMC)가 6월 24일 게시한 공고를 통해 확인됐다. 공고는 플로리다주 Eglin 공군기지의 유도무기 평가시설에서 8월 25일부터 26일까지 이틀간 비공개 산업 설명회를 개최할 예정이라고 밝혔다.

선정될 경우 미 공군은 우선 무기개방형체계(Weapons Open System Architecture)와 정부참조아키텍처(Government Reference Architecture) 요구사항을 충족하는 하위체계의 설계와 제작을 관리하고, 완전히 조립 및 시험을 마친 즉시 운용 가능한 완제품 미사일을 생산할 수 있는 업체를 원하고 있다.

그 다음으로는 업체가 '주 통합업체(master integrator)' 역할을 수행해 다양한 하위체계를 실제 미사일 기체에 통합하기를 희망한다고 공고는 밝혔다.

공고에는 AFLRW를 어떤 항공기가 탑재하게 될지는 명시되어 있지 않다.

다만 미사일은 국방계획 시나리오(Defense Planning Scenario) 2.1과 7.1 환경에서 표적을 신속하게 타격할 수 있어야 한다고 명시하고 있다.

2019년 RAND 연구에 따르면 이러한 계획 시나리오는 전력이나 무기체계가 대응할 수 있도록 설계되어야 하는 실제 상황을 의미한다. 다만 공고에서 언급된 구체적인 시나리오의 내용은 공개되지 않았다.

공대공형과 공대지형 두 가지 파생형이 모두 계획되어 있다는 점은 이 무기의 활용 범위가 매우 넓을 것임을 시사한다.

미 공군의 Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor와 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II 전투기는 현재 AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile을 운용할 수 있으며, 이 미사일의 사거리는 100마일 이상이다.

현재 개발 중인 AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff Weapon은 B-52 Stratofortress와 차세대 B-21 Raider 같은 폭격기에 탑재되어 공대지 표적을 공격하기 위해 개발되고 있으며, 최대 약 1,500마일의 사거리를 가질 것으로 예상된다.

공고는 "AFLRW는 국방부의 우선순위에 부합하는 차세대 공중발사 스탠드오프 무기(Air-Launched Standoff Weapon) 파생형을 개발하기 위한 것"이라고 설명했다.

AFLCMC 대변인은 6월 25일 논평 요청에 즉각 응답하지 않았다.

고가의 'Exquisite' 미사일인가?

최근 공개된 미 공군의 여러 탄약 사업과 달리 이번 공고는 경제성을 강조하지 않았다. 미 공군은 다양한 파생형을 갖춘 저가형 순항미사일 사업인 'Family of Affordable Mass Missiles(FAMM)' 프로그램을 적극 추진하고 있다.

국방부 차관 Emil Michael은 6월 12일 Hudson Institute와의 인터뷰에서 국방부가 여러 건의 저가형 순항미사일 생산 계약을 체결했다고 밝혔다. 그는 기존의 고성능 'Exquisite' 순항미사일이 발당 약 200만 달러인 데 비해, 새로운 저가형 순항미사일은 발당 약 50만 달러 수준이라고 설명했다.

이러한 저가형 탄약은 향후 수년간 미 공군 탄약 예산의 상당 부분을 차지하게 될 예정이다.

미 공군장관 Troy Meink는 6월 9일 열린 상원 청문회에서 향후 5년간 미 공군이 도입하려는 약 2만 8,000발의 탄약 가운데 약 60%가 FAMM 프로그램에 해당한다고 증언했다.

Air Force Eyes New Stand-Off Missile with 1,000-Nautical Mile Range | Air & Space Forces Magazine

The Air Force hopes the very-long-range AIM-260 JATM, shown here in an artist's concept, will help restore the edge of U.S. fighters now within reach of China's PL-15 missiles.

Expand Photo

Air Force Eyes New Stand-Off Missile with 1,000-Nautical Mile Range

June 25, 2026

•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

Share Article

The Air Force wants a new “Air Force Long Range Weapon” with variants that can strike air-to-air and air-to-surface targets at a minimum range of 1,150 miles.

That’s according to an Air Force Lifecyle Management Center notice posted June 24 announcing a classified two-day industry event scheduled for Aug. 25-26 at the Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. guided weapons eval‎uation facility.

If selected, the USAF first wants vendors who can produce a fully assembled and tested round that’s ready to use, managing both the subsystem design and manufacturing that meets Weapons Open System Architecture and Government Reference Architecture requirements.

Secondarily, the service wants the vendor to act as the “master integrator,” according to the notice, integrating various subsystems into the actual missile shell.

The notice does not specify what type of aircraft they expect to carry the AFLRW.

It does say that the missiles should be able to strike targets in Defense Planning Scenario 2.1 and 7.1 environments in a responsive manner.

The planning scenarios are basically real-world challenges that a force or weapon must be designed against, according to a 2019 RAND study on the DOD’s planning process. Specific scenarios referenced in the notice are not detailed.

The dual variants of both air-to-air and air-to-surface suggest a wide range of applications.

Air Force fighters, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II can fire the AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, which can reach distances of more than 100 miles.

The still-under-development Air-to-Ground Missile-181A Long-Range Standoff Weapon is being built for bombers, such as the B-52 Stratofortress and the forthcoming B-21 Raider, to carry and strike air-to-surface targets. It is expected to have a striking distance of up to 1,500 miles.

“The AFLRW is aimed at addressing the next generation of Air-Launched Standoff Weapon variants in line with Department of War priorities,” according to the notice.

An AFLCMC spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on June 25.

An Exquisite Missile?

Unlike many recent public Air Force munitions efforts, this notice does not stress affordability. The service has put a lot of push behind its Family of Affordable Mass Missiles program, which is a lower cost cruise missile effort that has multiple variants.

Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael noted on June 12 during an interview with the Hudson Institute that the DOD had signed multiple deals to produce low-cost cruise missiles that come in at about $500,000 per missile as compared to the standard “exquisite” cruise missile, which runs about $2 million.

And those lower cost munitions make up a big part of the service’s munitions spending in the coming years.

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink testified in a Senate hearing on June 9 that about 60 percent of the 28,000 munitions that the service is seeking to buy over the next five years for are under the FAMM program.

[백선호]

탄도탄인데 고정 표적으로 가는 것이 아니라 이동 표적으로 가는 것이네요. 그 이동 표적의 속도가 얼마이고 elevation이 얼마냐의 차이만 있을 것 같습니다. 타겟팅은 위성이 해야할 것 같고요.

[위종민]

공개된 기술 자료는 아직 없는 것 같은데, 말씀하신 탄도탄은 전투기에 싣기엔 외부 파일런에 단다 쳐도 꽤 클 것 같긴 하네요. 터보팬은 부스터 달고 최종에 가속한다 쳐도, 아무리 느린 공중급유기나 조기경보기 노린다고 쳐도 공대공으로 써먹기엔 NEZ가 너무 좁을 것 같고 날아가는 사이에 표적이 멀리 이동해 있을 거고.. 이거야 중간유도로 해결할 수 있다지만 ㅎㅎ 스크램제트는 탄도탄과 터보팬 사이의 중간이라 어중간한 해결책인 듯 싶고, 어떤 무기가 나올 지 궁금해집니다 ㅎㅎ