AIM-174B

For the surface-to-air predecessor of the AIM-174B, see RIM-174 Standard ERAM.
AIM-174B
VX-9 F/A-18F with AIM-174 missiles, 24 September 2024
TypeVery long-range air-to-air missile
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2021 (2021)(?)–present[1]
Used byUnited States Navy
Production history
ManufacturerRaytheon
VariantsYAIM-174, XAIM-174, NAIM-174, AIM-174B, CATM-174B[2][3]
Specifications
Mass1,900 lb (860 kg)[4]
Diameter13.5 in (0.34 m)
Wingspan61.8 in (1.57 m)
WarheadHigh-explosive blast-fragmentation
Warhead weight140 lb (64 kg)[5]
Detonation
mechanism
Radar and contact/impact/proximity fuze
EngineSolid-fuel rocket motor
Operational
range
At least 130 nmi (150 mi; 240 km)[6][7]
Maximum speed Mach 3.5 (2,664.2 mph; 4,287.7 km/h; 1.2 km/s)[8]
Guidance
system
Inertial guidance, terminal active and semi-active radar homing
Launch
platform
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

The AIM-174B is a long-range air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and used by the United States Navy (USN). The AIM-174B is a derivative of the RIM-174B Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM, Standard Missile-6, or SM-6) surface-to-air missile, a member of the extended Standard Missile family, with the USN describing the AIM-174B as the "Air-Launched Configuration"[9] of the SM-6. The AIM-174B's existence was first confirmed to the public in July 2024 at RIMPAC 2024. The AIM-174B is only known to be capable of being carried and launched by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as of July 2024.[10]

Since the 2004 retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix AAM, the USN has not fielded a dedicated long-range air-to-air missile.[11] The AIM-174's existence had been speculated about since at least 2021, with photos of SM-6s carried by Super Hornets making their way online.[12] The publication Naval News reports that they were following developments of an "air-launched SM-6" since 2015,[13] while The Aviationist reports that photos of Super Hornets carrying "an SM-6 variant" appeared in 2018.[14]

Little is known about the missile as it is speculated that it was developed as a special access program,[15] similar to the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile[16] (of which little is officially known).[17] As the AIM-260 is similarly a very long-range air-to-air missile, it is unclear what the relationship between the AIM-174B and AIM-260 will be, as the USN has co-operated with the United States Air Force (USAF) in developing the latter for use by both services. Both missiles are designed to counter the extreme-range air-to-air missiles being fielded or under-development by the United States' peer and near-peer potential adversaries, such as the Russian Vympel R-37M or the Chinese PL-21.[18] Both the AIM-174 and -260 are separate from the currently under-development Long-Range Engagement Weapon of the USAF.

  1. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-06-04). "Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  2. ^ Newdick, Thomas; Rogoway, Tyler. "F/A-18 Super Hornet Appears With Unprecedented Heavy Air-To-Air Missile Load". TWZ. Archived from the original on 2024-09-16. Retrieved 2024-09-17. Markings are visible on the AIM-174s that show they are technically "captive" CATM-174Bs not capable of being fired.
  3. ^ Rogoway, Tyler (23 July 2024). "AIM-174 Missile Seen On Super Hornet About To Launch From A Carrier For First Time". Archived from the original on 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-08-02. An XAIM-174B (or NAIM-174B) missile under the wing of another VFA-192 Super Hornet seen at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, earlier this month
  4. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-08). "These Photos Provide a Size Comparison Between the New AIM-174B and AIM-120 Missiles". The Aviationist. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-24. According to the stencils visible on the photos of the missile... the AIM-174B... weighs 1,890 lb ± 14 lb (857 kg ± 6 kg).
  5. ^ Ho, Ben (10 March 2016). "Fixing the US Navy's Anti-Surface Warfare Shortfall". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023.
  6. ^ West, Lisa (2024-07-06). "U.S. Navy Reveals Longest-Range Air-to-Air Missile at RIMPAC". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  7. ^ Doyle, Gerry (2024-08-15). "US Navy's newest air-to-air missile could tilt balance in South China Sea". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-08-17. a weapon such as the AIM-174B, which can attack aerial targets as far away as 400 km (250 miles)
  8. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-03). "First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles". The Aviationist. Retrieved 2024-08-17. Capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 3.5, the missile has an official range of 200 nautical miles.
  9. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07. The SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today.
  10. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-03). "First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles". The Aviationist. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  11. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-03). "First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles". The Aviationist. Retrieved 2024-07-07. In essence, this new missile fills the gap left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix. The AIM-54 was a long-range air-to-air missile used by the U.S. Navy's F-14 Tomcat and retired in 2004 alongside the F-14. Known for its impressive range of over 100 nautical miles and multiple-target engagement capability, the AIM-54 left a significant void in long-range engagement capabilities.
  12. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-06-04). "Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  13. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07. ...Naval News is following a possible lead that points to a potential air-launched SM-6 dating back as far as 2015.
  14. ^ Cenciotti, David (2024-07-03). "First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles". The Aviationist. Retrieved 2024-07-07. Although the news broke in 2021 only, the first sighting of a Super Hornet carrying an SM-6 variant occurred in 2018 when an F/A-18F from VX-31 was photographed with the same missile under its wing, indicating that the U.S. Navy has been developing an air-launched version of the SM-6/RIM-174 for at least six years.
  15. ^ "Phoenix Successor Redux: The USN's Range Riposte to China's PL-17". Archived from the original on 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-31. …the AIM-174 was a previously classified Special Access Program.
  16. ^ "New AIM-260 Missiles Are So Secretive They Will Require A Custom Storage Bunker At Hill AFB". July 2019. Archived from the original on 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-31. …AIM 260A JATM assets cannot be housed in shared facilities with legacy munitions; and must be supported by a facility designed to meet specific operational requirements, and the stricter Special Access Program Facility security requirements.
  17. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07. The AIM-260 remains secretive about procurement and delivery given its status as a Special Access Program (SAP). It is likely that the effort to integrate SM-6 is also a SAP…
  18. ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07. …the U.S. Navy joins allies and adversaries in fielding an extra long range beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). Examples include Europe's Meteor, Russia's R-37M (AA-13 "Axehead"), China's PL-15 (CH-AA-10 "Abaddon") and PL-21 (CH-AA-X-12).