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| AIM-174 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Very long-range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2021(?)–present[2] |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon |
| Variants | AIM-174B |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,900 lb (860 kg)[3] |
| Wingspan | 61.8 in (1.57 m) |
| Warhead | High-explosive blast-fragmentation |
| Warhead weight | 140 lb (64 kg)[4] |
Detonation mechanism | Radar and contact/impact/proximity fuze |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket motor |
Operational range | At least 130 nmi (150 mi; 240 km)[5] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 3.5 (2,664.2 mph; 4,287.7 km/h; 1.2 km/s)[6] |
Guidance system | Inertial guidance, terminal active and semi-active radar homing |
Launch platform | Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet |
The AIM-174 is a very long-range air-to-air missile developed by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and utilized by the United States Navy (USN). The AIM-174 is a derivative of the RIM-174 Standard ERAM (Standard Missile-6 or SM-6) surface-to-air missile, with the USN describing the AIM-174 as the "Air-Launched Configuration"[7] of the SM-6. The AIM-174's existence was first confirmed to the public in July 2024 at RIMPAC 2024. While details regarding the AIM-174's range are unconfirmed, certain surface-launched SM-6 variants are capable of 250 nmi (290 mi; 460 km) launches; With the benefit of being launched already at-speed and at-altitude (where the air is thinner and thus easier to fly through)[8], the AIM-174's range may extend to several hundred miles[9], though the USN has confirmed a range of 130 nmi (150 mi; 240 km).[10][11] The operational variant, 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.[12] Since the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix BVRAAM, the USN has not fielded a dedicated long-range air-to-air missile.[13] 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;[14] The publication Naval News reports that they were following developments of an "air-launched SM-6" since 2015,[15] while The Aviationist reports that photos of Super Hornets carrying “an SM-6 variant” appeared in 2018.[16]
Little is known about the missile as it is speculated that it was developed as a special access program, similar to the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (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-174 and -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.
- ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-06-04). "Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
In 2021, a VX-31 F/A-18F was spotted carrying an inert SM-6 without its 21-inch MK72 first-stage booster...
- ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-06-04). "Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ 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.
According to the stencils visible on the photos of the missile... the AIM-174B... weighs 1,890 lb ± 14 lb (857 kg ± 6 kg).
- ^ Ho, Ben (10 March 2016). "Fixing the US Navy's Anti-Surface Warfare Shortfall". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023.
- ^ 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.
Capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 3.5, the missile has an official range of 130 nautical miles.
- ^ 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.
Capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 3.5, the missile has an official range of 130 nautical miles.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Rogoway, Tyler (2024-07-08). "Disclosure of New AIM-174B Missile Brings Navy's Future Air-to-Air Strategy Into Focus". TWZ. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
…launched from altitude and speed by a fighter, its range would be extended quite dramatically, giving it the ability to hit some aerial targets over multiple hundreds of miles.
- ^ 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.
The SM-6 uses the airframe of the SM-2ER Block IV (RIM-156A) missile, upgraded with an active radar homing seeker derived from the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile. This missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 3.5 and has a maximum range of 200 nautical miles. To that respect, it's not clear what the maximum range of the air-launched version could be: despite the lack of a booster, launching it at high speed and altitude would result in significantly greater range compared to the surface-launched variant.
- ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-07-05). "U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ West, Lisa (2024-07-06). "U.S. Navy Reveals Longest-Range Air-to-Air Missile at RIMPAC". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Johnston, Carter (2024-06-04). "Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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…
- ^ 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).