US Navy's AIM-174B: A Game-Changer in Air-to-Air Combat
Story by Tom Johnson • 1h
New imagery of a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet loaded with air-launched SM-6 missiles underwing suggests that the branch is on the cusp of deploying one of the longest-ranged air-to-air missiles in history. Designated AIM-174B, these new weapons may just provide America’s carrier-based fighters with the capability to engage enemy aircraft hundreds of miles away, while also offering targeting of enemy warships and intercepts of inbound threats like ballistic or cruise missiles. That could give the Navy’s fighters a giant leap in offensive and defensive capabilities over the wide-open spaces of the Pacific.
The AIM-174B is an air-launched variant of the SM-6 missile, effectively bringing together capabilities reminiscent of Russia’s Kh-47M2 Kinzhal with the legendary air-to-air prowess of the AIM-54 Phoenix. Designed by Raytheon Technologies, the SM-6 missile is one of the most versatile weapon systems in the Navy’s possession. It has seen active service in training exercises and combat missions in the Red Sea. The Pentagon bills the SM-6 as “tri-mission capable”-capable of serving in anti-air, sea-based terminal defense, and anti-surface warfare roles.
Earlier this week, aviation photographer @aeros808 posted images of two AIM-174Bs mounted on an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the VFA-192 “Golden Dragons” at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. These Super Hornets were spotted carrying inert variants of this new air-launched munition during exercises in the present Rim of The Pacific 2024 maritime combat, more commonly referred to as RIMPAC 2024. In one of the photos taken from these exercises, the designation on the weapon could be read as the new AIM-174B with “NAIM-174B” painted on the side of the forward fuselage.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/us-navy-s-aim-174b-a-game-changer-in-air-to-air-combat/ar-AA1qj8oA?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e885f2c351414d32b1e9fa351ed1d9ae&ei=97
