Air Force Munitions

Latest in Air Force Munitions

The compact version of the AIM-9X is being developed with a focus on increased magazine depth when carried internally by "advanced aircraft," while also offering improved range and performance.

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Smaller AIM-9X Sidewinder For Stealthy Weapons Bays Is In Development

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted Yesterday

Among the latest products from Turkey’s prolific defense industry is a missile apparently directly inspired by the secretive AGM-114R9X variant of the widely used Hellfire, the effects of which TWZ was the first to identify back in 2017. Named Neşter, Turkish for scalpel, the new missile features the same kind of pop-out, sword-like blades as used on the AGM-119R9X, a weapon popularly dubbed “Flying Ginsu” or “Ninja” due to its unusual capabilities.

AGM-114 Hellfire

Turkey Developing Its Own Bladed ‘Ginsu’ Precision Guided Munition

By Thomas Newdick

Posted Yesterday

AARGM-ER AGM-88G in testing.

AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM)

Navy Still Pushing To Field New AARGM-ER Radar-Busting Missile This Year Despite “Strategic Pause”

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 28, 2026

Russia’s Stealthy S-71K Air-Launched Missile Seen In New Detail

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 27, 2026

Recently uncovered wreckage of an Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM)reveals that Ukraine is employing the AIM-120C-8 version, a weapon that is close to the ‘top of the line’ for these missiles. Ukraine can employ AMRAAM from its F-16 fighters, as well as from the ground-based National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) air defense system.

Evidence Of Ukraine Using AIM-120C-8 Missiles Emerges

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 27, 2026

The U.S. Navy has shared details about what looks to be a previously undisclosed effort to rapidly arm ships in two carrier strike groups with radar-guided Longbow Hellfire missiles to protect against drones.

AGM-114 Hellfire

Navy Rushing To Arm Carrier Strike Groups With Hellfire Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 23, 2026

A new, longer-range version of the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM) has been unveiled by CoAspire at the Sea-Air-Space 2026 exposition near Washington, D.C. The development comes just days after the U.S. Air Force launched market research for its Family of Affordable Mass Missiles — Beyond Adversary’s Reach (FAMM-BAR), reflecting the service’s interest in low-cost, long-range strike weapons.

New Low-Cost Cruise Missile Features Tomahawk-Like Range

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Apr 22, 2026

A Navy F/A-18 carries the new Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Long Range (LR) variant during a test event in early April off the coast of California (U.S. Navy photo/released)

Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)

Jet-Powered JDAM Tested From Navy Super Hornet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 20, 2026

L3Harris is pushing its modular Wolf family of “launched effects vehicles” for the U.S. Army, including to equip its H-60 Black Hawk series and AH-64 Apache helicopters. The family of vehicles includes the Red Wolf, configured for long-range precision strikes against targets on land or at sea, and the Green Wolf fitted with an electronic warfare payload.

Wolf Pack Modular Mini Cruise Missiles Pitched For Apache, Black Hawk

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 16, 2026

General Atomics is calling attention to a new mission for its Mojave short takeoff and landing (STOL) drone: hunting uncrewed aerial threats with laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets.

Laser Guided Rockets

Hunting Drones From Sloppy Airstrips Is General Atomics’ Future Vision For Mojave

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 15, 2026

A former Pentagon official offers unique insights into the creation of the LUCAS drone.

How America’s Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone Clone Suddenly Became An “Indispensable” Weapon Of War

By Howard Altman

Updated on Apr 9, 2026

Here Is What Trump’s Gargantuan $1.5T Defense Budget Has In It

Here Is What Trump’s Gargantuan $1.5T Defense Budget Has In It

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 8, 2026

BAE has test fired APKWS rockets from an RAF Typhoon for the first time.

Laser Guided Rockets

Eurofighter Typhoon Test Fires Laser-Guided Counter-Drone Rockets

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 8, 2026

The Israeli Air Force has released a picture of F-16I Sufa fighters taking part in strikes on Iran, and the jets appear to be carrying cluster munitions.

Israeli F-16s Appear To Be Carrying Cluster Munitions

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 30, 2026

Iran says the US is dropping mines from the air on its missile facilities.

Is The U.S. Dropping Mines To Stop Iranian Missile Launchers?

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Mar 27, 2026

Lockheed Martin has developed a launcher called Grizzly that fires AGM-114 Hellfire missiles from within an otherwise unassuming 10-foot shipping container.

AGM-114 Hellfire

Hellfire Missile Launcher Tucked Inside A Container Rolled Out By Lockheed

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 24, 2026