US Air Force Flying‑Wing “Arsenal” to Field AIM‑260 JATM and Air‑Launched SM‑6 (AIM‑174)

The U.S. Air Force is developing a stealth flying-wing "arsenal aircraft" designed to carry large numbers of advanced air-to-air missiles like the AIM-260 JATM and AIM-174, boosting the firepower of frontline fighters in future conflicts, especially against China.

 The U.S. Air Force is actively pursuing transformational capabilities to maintain and extend its advantage in air superiority, particularly with a focus on future conflicts against near-peer adversaries such as China. One of the most strategically significant concepts now under serious internal study is the development of a stealthy flying-wing aircraft designed specifically as an air-to-air “arsenal plane.” This aircraft would not be a traditional fighter or bomber but rather a specialized platform intended to carry a very large load of air-to-air missiles—potentially dozens—in order to provide missile support for U.S. fighters operating at the edge of contested airspace.

This initiative comes from a clear understanding of the operational challenges that the Air Force faces across the Indo-Pacific theater. That region presents immense logistical, geographic, and threat-based complexity. The distances are vast, access to forward operating bases may be limited or vulnerable to precision strikes, and China has developed a robust anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy centered on long-range missile systems and increasingly capable stealth aircraft. In this environment, the U.S. needs not just more aircraft, but smarter use of airpower—deploying systems that allow American forces to project strength across these vast distances while minimizing risk and maximizing effect.

The arsenal aircraft concept plays a crucial role in this. It fills a specific operational gap that even the most advanced manned fighter jets—such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, and the next-generation F-47—cannot fully overcome on their own. While those platforms are superior in stealth, agility, and sensor fusion, they have limitations in payload. Their internal weapons bays, designed to preserve low observability, can only carry a handful of missiles per sortie. In an extended or large-scale air battle, this becomes a limiting factor. Once those missiles are gone, the fighter must disengage, reload, and return—leaving gaps in coverage during a critical moment of engagement.

Enter the arsenal aircraft. This platform would act as a high-capacity, stealth-compatible “missile truck,” flying safely behind the frontline fighters and launching weapons based on targeting data provided by the fighters or other networked assets such as AWACS aircraft, satellites, or forward-deployed drones. This concept of long-range cooperative engagement—where one platform detects and tracks a target while another fires—has already been proven in other domains, such as naval warfare. Applying it to air combat is a natural next step and would drastically extend the firepower of American air forces in theater without sacrificing stealth or increasing fighter size.

The Air Force’s focus is on a flying-wing design for several reasons. First, this configuration provides ideal shaping for stealth, allowing it to operate in contested airspace if necessary. Second, it offers a large internal volume, enabling the carriage of many long-range missiles while maintaining low radar signature. Third, flying-wing aircraft typically have excellent range and endurance—both critical factors in a region like the Pacific, where tankers and support aircraft may be limited by enemy threat systems.

Although there has been speculation that the B-21 Raider bomber could fill this role, current thinking suggests that while the B-21 may carry air-to-air missiles for self-defense, it is not ideally suited to take on the arsenal role at scale. The B-21 is an exquisite, high-cost platform, deeply integrated into strategic strike plans. Dedicating those aircraft to secondary roles like missile support could compromise their availability for primary strike missions. Instead, the Air Force is looking at the possibility of a new, purpose-built platform—or a simplified variant of the B-21 that omits many of its high-end strike features, thus reducing cost while leveraging its proven design and stealth capabilities.

This future arsenal aircraft could be optionally manned or entirely autonomous, depending on mission needs and operational risk. Uncrewed or remotely piloted designs offer clear advantages in survivability and cost, especially in high-threat environments. They also reduce the risk to human pilots while allowing the aircraft to focus entirely on its primary mission—delivering air-to-air weapons in support of the air battle. The Air Force has already acknowledged that autonomy will play a key role in future operations, and this arsenal concept fits perfectly into that vision.

The missiles envisioned for this platform are also already progressing through development. The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is one of the most anticipated weapons in this space. Developed jointly by the U.S. Air Force and Navy, it offers significantly greater range and speed than the AIM-120 AMRAAM, while maintaining similar size—ideal for fitting into internal bays. A stealthy arsenal aircraft could carry large numbers of AIM-260s, vastly expanding the magazine depth of any air superiority operation.

Beyond the AIM-260, the Air Force could integrate even larger, more exotic systems. One such weapon is the AIM-174, the air-launched version of the Navy’s SM-6 missile. The SM-6 has a massive range, and when adapted for air launch, it provides an unmatched ability to engage enemy aircraft, cruise missiles, and even certain ballistic missile threats far from U.S. assets. A platform the size of a flying wing could carry multiple AIM-174s internally—something no fighter can do—adding layers of defensive and offensive options in a future fight.

The concept also intersects with other emerging Air Force programs. Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which are autonomous drones designed to fight alongside manned fighters, are already being tested and integrated into future force planning. While CCAs offer flexibility and forward presence, their weapons capacity is limited—most will initially carry just one or two missiles. That’s where the arsenal aircraft becomes vital. It offers a survivable, reusable platform with a much larger payload, giving commanders the ability to sustain air operations across multiple days and missions without rapidly burning through high-value fighter sorties or one-time-use drone systems.

Critics may ask whether these roles could be filled by swarms of cheaper drones, but such drones—while useful—lack the range, survivability, and missile volume of a purpose-built stealth flying wing. The Air Force’s decision not to go all-in on UCAVs reflects a recognition of these operational trade-offs. The arsenal aircraft doesn’t replace drones or manned fighters—it multiplies their effectiveness by filling a capability gap that no other platform can currently address.

The timing of this concept’s resurgence is also important. With the F-47 sixth-generation fighter moving into initial production and the B-21 beginning flight testing, the Air Force is clearly building a next-generation air dominance ecosystem. However, numbers of these platforms will be limited by cost and production timelines. The arsenal aircraft offers a way to extend the reach and staying power of this small but powerful force, ensuring that America’s airpower punch remains overwhelming, even if fighter numbers are fewer than those of the adversary.

Internally, the Air Force is also managing resources, force structure, and industrial capacity carefully. Northrop Grumman, for example, is ramping up B-21 production, but there may be concerns about asking the same production lines to produce both bombers and air-to-air variants. This could drive interest in an alternative supplier or a new production approach for the arsenal aircraft—one that uses modular components, shared subsystems, and lessons learned from the B-21 and other classified flying wing projects.

The path forward is not officially confirmed, but all signals point to the Air Force seeing this as a highly viable and potentially game-changing capability. It’s been modeled in war games, discussed by senior leadership, and seen in concept art and long-term planning documents. The Air Force has even hinted at the arsenal aircraft’s role during public briefings related to the Next Generation Air Dominance program and the Indo-Pacific force posture.

The development of a flying-wing air-to-air arsenal aircraft reflects the Air Force’s commitment to maintaining air superiority through innovation, integration, and forward-looking operational concepts. It shows that U.S. air planners are not resting on past successes but are adapting to new challenges, technologies, and strategic realities. In the air domain, as in every other, the United States continues to lead—not just in capabilities, but in concepts that turn those capabilities into decisive advantages in future combat.