항공무장 호주, AIM-260 JATM 최초 해외도입국이 됨

[위종민]

호주의 리처드 밀스 국방장관이 호주 북부에서 열린 다국적 공중전투훈련(피치 블랙 26이겠죠?)을 방문한 자리에서 AIM-260 450발을 도입하는데 7억 3,600만 호주달러(미화 5억 1,800만 달러)를 쓸 거라고 발표했네요. 미 국무부 FMS 승인은 지난 3월 받았는데, 그때는 총 사업비용을 30억 달러로 추산했다고 합니다. 

호주, 비밀에 싸인 AIM-260 JATM 미사일 구매 확정…미국 외 첫 운용국

캔버라는 별도로 유도무기용 국산 고체연료 로켓모터 시험에 성공했다고 발표했다.

마이크 여
2026년 8월 6일 오후 12시 37분

뉴사우스웨일스주 윌리엄타운 호주 공군기지에 착륙하는 호주 공군 F-35A 라이트닝 II 전투기. (호주 국방부)

멜버른 — 호주가 미국제 장거리 공대공미사일 AIM-260 합동첨단전술미사일(JATM)의 첫 번째 수출 고객이 된다.

리처드 말스 국방장관은 호주 북부에서 열리고 있는 다국적 공중전투훈련을 방문한 자리에서 호주 공군(RAAF)을 위해 미사일 “최대 450발”을 구매하는 데 “거의” 7억 3,600만 호주달러(미화 5억 1,800만 달러)를 투자할 것이라고 발표했다.

국방부는 “AIM-260 JATM 도입은 공군 플랫폼에 공중표적을 상대로 신뢰할 수 있는 억제력을 제공하고, 기존 공대공미사일 능력과 호주군(ADF) 전반의 기타 지상발사 미사일 능력을 보완할 것이다. 또한 미국과의 상호운용성을 더욱 강화할 것”이라고 밝혔다.

록히드마틴이 제작한 이 미사일은 미국이 철저히 비밀에 부쳐 온 무기로, 《에어 앤 스페이스 포시스 매거진》에 따르면 지난 5월에야 처음으로 공개 사진이 촬영됐다. 호주는 지난 3월 미 국무부로부터 JATM 구매 승인을 받았다. 다만 당시 호주가 전체 구매를 추진할 경우 모든 미사일과 여러 시험용 물량, 관련 장비를 포함한 총사업비는 미화 30억 달러를 넘을 것으로 추산됐다.

캔버라는 우선 AIM-260을 호주 공군의 보잉 F/A-18F 슈퍼호넷 다목적 전투기에 통합하고, 이후 록히드마틴 F-35A 라이트닝 II 5세대 전투기 전력, 그리고 보잉 EA-18G 그라울러 전자공격기에 차례로 통합할 계획이다.

말스 장관은 다윈 호주 공군기지에서 열린 피치 블랙 공중전투훈련 방문 중 언론 브리핑에서 이번 도입을 호주 공군의 능력을 향상하기 위한 “매우 중요한 구매”라고 평가했으며, 호주의 국방전략검토에서 제시한 전력구조 및 태세와 부합한다고 덧붙였다.

국산 고체로켓모터 첫 시험

이와 별도로 호주는 이날 유도무기에 사용하기 위해 자체 개발한 고체연료 로켓모터의 비행시험에도 성공했다고 발표했다.

호주 국방부는 별도의 발표에서 쿠니바 라이징 3.0 고체로켓모터가 호주 남부의 시험장에서 시험됐다고 밝혔다. 이 모터는 호주 국방과학기술그룹과 탈레스 오스트레일리아의 협력사업을 통해 개발됐다.

국방부는 이 100kg급 고체로켓모터가 “고성능 군사용 응용에 필요한 기술과 설계요소”를 적용했으며, 비행시험은 호주 기업 서던 론치가 수행했다고 덧붙였다. 국방부는 시험에서 이 로켓모터가 “설계된 대로” 작동했다고 밝혔다.

발표문은 “이번 이정표는 호주의 주권적 유도무기 역량을 향한 또 하나의 중요한 진전으로, 호주 산업계가 미래 전술미사일체계와 관련된 로켓모터 기술을 설계·제조·통합·시험할 수 있는 능력을 입증한다”며, “미래 로켓모터를 국내에서 개발·제조·시험·평가할 수 있는 실현 가능한 경로를 보여준다”고 밝혔다.

팻 콘로이 호주 방위산업장관도 AIM-260에 관한 말스 장관의 발언과 마찬가지로 이번 시험을 호주 방위산업에 있어 중요한 진전이라고 평가했다.

그는 “이는 우리의 국가안보와 자주적 산업 회복력을 뒷받침하는 첨단 능력을 제공하는 과정에서 국방부와 호주 산업계, 연구기관 간 협력이 얼마나 강력한지를 보여준다”고 말했다.

Australia commits to buying secretive AIM-260 JATM missiles, first non-US user - Breaking Defense

Australia commits to buying secretive AIM-260 JATM missiles, first non-US user - Breaking Defense

Australia commits to buying secretive AIM-260 JATM missiles, first non-US user

Canberra separately announced the successfully test of an indigenous solid fuel rocket motor for guided munitions.

By Mike Yeo on August 06, 2026 12:37 pm

Share

A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft touches down at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. (Australia DoD)

MELBOURNE — Australia will be the first export customer for the American-made beyond-visual-range air-to-air AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). 

Defense Minister Richard Marles announced during a visit to a multinational air combat exercise in northern Australia that the country will invest “almost” $736 million AUD ($518 million USD) to buy “up to 450” missiles for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). 

The Department of Defence said, “The acquisition of the AIM-260 JATM will provide Air Force platforms with a credible deterrent against airborne targets, complementing existing air-to-air missile capabilities and other surface-based missile capabilities across the Australian Defence Force (ADF). It will also further enhance Australia’s interoperability with the United States.”

The Lockheed Martin-made missile is a closely held weapon for the US, only having been publicly photographed for the first time in May, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine. Australia had been cleared by the State Department to buy the JATM in March — though the price tag for all the missiles, plus several test articles and associated equipment, should Australia pursue the full purchase, was at the time estimated to come to over $3 billion USD.

Canberra first plans to integrate the AIM-260 on the RAAF’s Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters, followed by its fleet of Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighters and then its Boeing EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack aircraft. 

Speaking at a media doorstop during the visit to the Pitch Black air combat exercise in RAAF Base Darwin, Marles called the acquisition a “really significant purchase to upgrade the capability” of the RAAF, adding that it was in line with the force structure and posture set out in Australia’s Defence Strategic Review. 

Test Of First Indigenous Solid Rocket Motor

Separately, Australia also announced today that it had successfully flight tested an indigenously developed solid fuel rocket motor to be used in guided weapons. 

The Koonibba Rising 3.0 solid rocket motor was tested at a range in the south of the country, said Australia’s defense department in another release. The motor was developed under a partnership between Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and Thales Australia.

The department added that the 100kg– (220 pound-) class solid rocket motor incorporated “technologies and design features required for high-performance, military-relevant applications” and with the flight test conducted by Australian company Southern Launch. The DoD said that it performed “as designed” during the test. 

“This milestone marks another significant step towards Australia’s sovereign guided weapons capability, demonstrating the ability of Australian industry to design, manufacture, integrate and test rocket motor technologies relevant to future tactical missile systems” and “demonstrates a viable pathway for the domestic development, manufacture, testing and eval‎uation of future rocket motors,” said the announcement. 

Echoing Marles’ comments on the AIM-260, Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy called the test a significant step for Australia’s defense industry. 

“It showcases the strength of collaboration between Defence, Australian industry and research organisations in delivering cutting-edge capabilities that support our national security and sovereign industrial resilience,” he said.