U.S. Navy's newest air-to-air missile could tilt balance in South China Sea

For decades, the United States' advantage in stealth fighters, first with the F-117 and then with the F-22 and F-35, meant that missiles such as the AIM-120 were all that was needed. The U.S. military also leaned into developing the AMRAAM as a cheaper alternative to a new missile, drastically improving its performance over decades, said Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at London's Royal United Services Institute.