Small Advanced Capabilities Missile

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Small Advanced Capabilities Missile (SACM) is a U.S. Air Force concept for a next‑generation, medium‑range, compact air‑to‑air missile. Also called CUDA, it uses hit‑to‑kill technology, removing the heavy explosive warhead to save weight. The goal is to match the range of the AIM‑120 AMRAAM while being smaller, so fighters like the F‑35 and F‑22 can carry more missiles in their internal bays. The design reportedly uses propulsion bursts around the airframe to improve maneuverability. A Lockheed Martin model of CUDA was shown in 2012, and the concept was publicly revealed in early 2017 during USAF discussions. Lockheed Martin is developing SACM, and the Air Force Research Laboratory began evaluating it in 2019. Some sources have referred to it as AIM‑160, but there is no official designation beyond SACM.