According to the web resource "War Zone", at the international Pacific naval exercises RIMPAC 2024, the US Navy aviation for the first time openly demonstrated a new long-range guided air-to-air missile AIM-174B, which is an aviation version of the famous shipboard anti-aircraft guided (multi-purpose) missile RIM-174 Standard SM-6 production RTX Corporation (Raytheon).
A Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet carrier-based fighter from the VFA-2 fighter-assault squadron of the US Navy from the aircraft carrier CVN 70 Carl Vinson with two suspended new American long-range air-to-air guided missiles AIM-174B (in experimental inert version NAIM-174B), representing an aviation variant Raytheon RIM-174 Standard SM-6 Shipboard Anti-Aircraft Guided (Multi-purpose) Missile, July 2024 (from) @the_808_airspace
Several images of Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters of the US Navy aviation with suspended non-combat versions of the AIM-174B missile in inert versions (HAIM-174B and NAIM-174B) were published in the media and social networks.
A U.S. Navy spokesman said that "the SM-6 in the Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 missile family and is currently in service with the Navy."
The work of the US Navy to create an aviation version of the Standard SM-6 missile was reported back in 2018, and the first spotter shot of an F/A-18E/F aircraft with such a suspended missile appeared in 2021. In January-April 2024, several new spotter photos of F/A-18E/F test units of the US Navy aviation with suspended SM-6 missiles were published. At the same time, the purpose of the SM-6 aviation variant was not precisely known, and a number of observers had previously expressed the opinion that this aircraft-made missile was an air-to-surface aeroballistic strike missile or even a target simulator of an aeroballistic missile.
Now visible in the pictures on the aircraft rocket, its official designation AIM-174B definitively defines it as an air-to-air missile. The firing range of this missile is unknown, but given the two-stage design of the SM-6 missile, it is probably very significant and reaches several hundred kilometers, especially when launched from high altitudes. The presence of an active radar homing head from the AM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missile on the SM-6 base missile undoubtedly facilitates the integration of the AIM-174B into the fighter's weapons control system.
At the same time, the media suggests that the AIM-174B missile also has the capabilities of an air-to-surface aeroballistic missile, similar to the RIM-174 SM-6 naval anti-aircraft missile, which is also actively positioned as a quasi-ballistic missile for strike missions (including now in land-based execution ).
The new American long-range air-to-air guided missile AIM-174B, which is an aviation variant of the Raytheon RIM-174 Standard SM-6 shipboard anti-aircraft guided (multi-purpose) missile, on the external suspension of Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters from the VFA-192 fighter-assault squadron of the US Navy Aviation. The missiles in the pictures are made in experimental versions XAIM-174B (in the upper picture) and NAIM-174B (in the lower one) with an inert warhead and without engines. Pearl Harbor-Hickenham, July 2024 (c) www.twz.com
jpg" title="A Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet carrier-based fighter from the VFA-113 fighter-assault squadron of the US Navy aviation in the hangar of the CVN 70 Carl Vinson aircraft carrier with two suspended new American long-range air-to-air guided missiles AIM-174B (performed by the DATM ground training manual-174B), representing an aviation version of the Raytheon RIM-174 Standard SM-6 shipboard anti-aircraft guided (multi-purpose) missile, July 2024">
A Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet carrier-based fighter from the VFA-113 fighter-assault squadron of the US Navy aviation in the hangar of the CVN 70 Carl Vinson aircraft carrier with two suspended new American long-range air-to-air guided missiles AIM-174B (performed by the DATM-174B ground training manual), which are aviation version of the Raytheon RIM-174 Standard SM-6 shipboard anti-aircraft guided (multi-purpose) missile, July 2024 (c) NHLRAREBIRDS
