With the retirement of the famous F-14 Tomcat in 2004, the US Navy lost its only long-range air-to-air missile. The AIM-54 Phoenix had a range of at least 180 kilometers. The AIM-174B developed by Raytheon is now intended to close this gap.
US Navy
After the retirement of the F-14 and the associated end of the AIM-54 Phoenix, the US Navy no longer had a long-range air-to-air missile.
First official photos
This is a derivative of the ground-based RIM-174B anti-aircraft missile. The weapon, also known as SM-6, has been in use on US Navy ships since 2013. The existence of an air-launched production variant only became known during the Marine exercise RIMPAC in July, when photos from a video surfaced online. They showed a VFA-192 Super Hornet with the missile taking off from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. A photographer also caught one of the unit’s suitably armed planes at Hickam Air Base in Hawaii. Now the US Navy has released the first official images taken in early autumn.
Exercise for new systems
They show a black F/A-18F from the VX-9 Vampires test squadron with four AIM-174Bs under the wing. The fighter jet took part in the Gray Flag exercise. The exercise is a Navy initiative to test new technologies and procedures. The most recent edition took place in Point Mugu from September 17th to 23rd. The four branches of the US armed forces worked together with almost 3,000 people on more than 60 test projects in the air and on the ground. The aircraft involved carried out around 600 flights. In addition to the VX-9 and VX-31 units from China Lake, the Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 also took part with a large contingent of F-35 jets. However, the military did not mention the systems tested, including the AIM-174.
Range remains secret
There is also no official data on the missile. The range in particular remains a secret. The SM-6, launched from ships, is intended to fly up to 370 kilometers. Although the AIM-174 does not have the launch booster, if launched from the air it could engage targets much further away due to the higher kinetic energy.
