AIM-174 air-to-air missile explained

AIM-174
Type:Very long-range air-to-air missile
Origin:United States
Is Explosive:y
Is Vehicle:y
Is Missile:y
Service:(?)–present[1]
Used By:United States Navy
Manufacturer:Raytheon
Variants:YAIM-174, XAIM-174, NAIM-174, AIM-174B[2]
Mass:1900lb[3]
Length:21.5feet
Filling:High-explosive blast-fragmentation
Filling Weight:140lb[4]
Detonation:Radar and contact/impact/proximity fuze
Engine:Solid-fuel rocket motor
Vehicle Range:At least 130nmi[5] [6]
Speed:[7]
Guidance:Inertial guidance, terminal active and semi-active radar homing
Wingspan:61.8inches
Launch Platform:Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

The AIM-174 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-174 is a derivative of the RIM-174 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-174 as the "Air-Launched Configuration"[8] of the SM-6. The AIM-174's existence was first confirmed to the public in July 2024 at RIMPAC 2024. 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.[9]

While details regarding the AIM-174's range are unconfirmed, certain surface-launched SM-6 variants are capable of 250nmi launches; with the benefit of being launched already at-speed and at-altitude (where the air is thinner and thus easier to fly through),[10] the AIM-174's range may extend to several hundred miles,[11] though the USN has confirmed a range of 130nmi.[12] [13] Since the 2004 retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix AAM, the USN has not fielded a dedicated long-range air-to-air missile.[14] 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;[15] The publication Naval News reports that they were following developments of an "air-launched SM-6" since 2015,[16] while The Aviationist reports that photos of Super Hornets carrying “an SM-6 variant” appeared in 2018.[17]

Little is known about the missile as it is speculated that it was developed as a special access program,[18] similar to the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile[19] (of which little is officially known).[20] 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 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.[21] Both the AIM-174 and -260 are separate from the currently under-development Long-Range Engagement Weapon of the USAF.

Design

Photos reveal that the AIM-174B weighs around 1,900 lb (861 kg), about five times the weight of the AIM-120 AMRAAM.[22] These photos also show that the AIM-174 is externally virtually identical to the RIM-174, apart from the marked lack of the MK72 solid-fuel rocket booster on the AIM-174. Sans MK72 booster pack, the missile is approximately 21.5feet; this is almost double the 12feet of the AMRAAM.

The missile will likely utilize a single-stage booster-sustainer solid-fuel rocket engine, similar to an SM-6 without the MK72 booster. It is unclear if there is any provision, capability, or reason for the AIM-174 to mount the MK72 pack.

Range and use

While some variants of the surface-launched SM-6 are capable of up to 250nmi launches, the USN has only confirmed a range of 130nmi for the AIM-174B. While the AIM-174 lacks the SM-6's MK72 rocket booster, in the thinner air of higher-altitudes (relative to a surface launch) and retaining the speed of the launching aircraft (several hundred miles per hour, at minimum), an air-launched AIM-174 may be capable of extreme ranges, relative to other air-launched missiles. The AIM-174 may also be capable of ‘lofting,’ a technique whereby the launched missile immediately ascends upwards to gain additional altitude, leveling-out generally between 80,000 ft (24,000 m) to 100,000 ft (30,000 m). The AIM-174's predecessor, the AIM-54 Phoenix BVRAAM was capable of employing this launch profile (along with certain AIM-7 Sparrow variants and all AIM-120 AMRAAM variants). Between the AIM-174's advantages over a surface-launched SM-6 and the possibility of lofted-launch profiles, the AIM-174's range may extend to hundreds of nautical miles.[23] The USN also routinely degrades the publicly-available ranges and capabilities of weapon systems for strategic security purposes.[24] At minimum, the AIM-174 represents a roughly 30% increase in range over the 99 nmi (114 mi; 184 km) of the retired AIM-54C and a roughly 50% increase over the 87 nmi (100 mi; 161 km)[25] of the in-service AIM-120D AMRAAM.

Very long-range AAMs such as the extant R-37M and the nascent PL-21 are typically utilized to attack large airborne targets; their current efficacy in attacking smaller targets (such as air superiority fighters or drones) is unknown. The AIM-174 will likely be subject to similar operational and practical limitations, and will likely be reserved for use against high-value airborne assets.[26] As such, it is speculated that the AIM-174 could be used offensively to strike at tankers or airborne early warning aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft far behind the ‘frontlines’ or defensively to strike large bombers — such as China's Xian H-6 — threatening USN fleets.[27]

As the RIM-174/SM-6 is capable of anti-ship and anti-ground strikes, the possibility exists for the AIM-174 to be utilized in such capacities.[28] Derived from the SM-6 family — whose variants are capable of anti-ship missile defense and anti-ballistic missile launches — the AIM-174 will likely retain such anti-missile capabilities.[29]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet . Johnston . Carter . 2024-06-04 . Naval News . 2024-07-07.
  2. Web site: Rogoway . Tyler . 23 July 2024 . AIM-174 Missile Seen On Super Hornet About To Launch From A Carrier For First Time . 2024-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240724195425/https://www.yahoo.com/news/aim-174-missile-seen-super-161323697.html . 2024-07-24 . 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.
  3. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 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)..
  4. Web site: Ho . Ben . 10 March 2016 . Fixing the US Navy's Anti-Surface Warfare Shortfall . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231125233637/https://thediplomat.com/2016/03/fixing-the-us-navys-anti-surface-warfare-shortfall/ . 25 November 2023 . The Diplomat.
  5. Web site: U.S. Navy Reveals Longest-Range Air-to-Air Missile at RIMPAC . West . Lisa . 2024-07-06 . UK Defence Journal . 2024-07-07.
  6. Web site: US Navy's newest air-to-air missile could tilt balance in South China Sea . Doyle . Gerry . 2024-08-15 . Reuters . 2024-08-17 . "a weapon such as the AIM-174B, which can attack aerial targets as far away as 400 km (250 miles)".
  7. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 2024-08-17 . "Capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 3.5, the missile has an official range of 200 nautical miles.".
  8. Web site: U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed . Johnston . Carter . 2024-07-05 . Naval News . 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..
  9. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 2024-07-07.
  10. Web site: Disclosure of New AIM-174B Missile Brings Navy's Future Air-to-Air Strategy Into Focus . Rogoway . Tyler . 2024-07-08 . TWZ . 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..
  11. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 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..
  12. Web site: U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed . Johnston . Carter . 2024-07-05 . Naval News . 2024-07-07.
  13. Web site: U.S. Navy Reveals Longest-Range Air-to-Air Missile at RIMPAC . West . Lisa . 2024-07-06 . UK Defence Journal . 2024-07-07.
  14. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 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..
  15. Web site: Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on F/A-18 Super Hornet . Johnston . Carter . 2024-06-04 . Naval News . 2024-07-07.
  16. Web site: U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed . Johnston . Carter . 2024-07-05 . Naval News . 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..
  17. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 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..
  18. Web site: Phoenix Successor Redux: The USN's Range Riposte to China's PL-17 . 2024-07-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240731024659/https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2024/07/phoenix-successor-redux-the-usns-range-riposte-to-chinas-pl-17/. 2024-07-31 . …the AIM-174 was a previously classified Special Access Program..
  19. Web site: New AIM-260 Missiles Are So Secretive They Will Require A Custom Storage Bunker At Hill AFB . July 2019 . 2024-07-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240731024659/https://www.twz.com/28796/new-aim-260-missiles-are-so-secretive-they-will-require-a-custom-storage-bunker-at-hill-afb . 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..
  20. Web site: U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed . Johnston . Carter . 2024-07-05 . Naval News . 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….
  21. Web site: U.S. Navy Confirms SM-6 Air Launched Configuration is Operationally Deployed . Johnston . Carter . 2024-07-05 . Naval News . 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)..
  22. Web site: First Images Emerge Of U.S. Navy Super Hornet Carrying Two Air-Launched SM-6 Missiles . Cenciotti . David . 2024-07-03 . The Aviationist . 2024-07-07 . According to the stencils visible on the photos of the missile carried by the CVW-2 Super Hornets taking part in RIMPAC, the AIM-174B (designated NAIM-174B, with the N prefix indicating modifications for special tests where reconversion to the original configuration is neither planned nor feasible at reasonable costs) weighs 1,890 lb ± 14 lb (857 kg ± 6 kg)..
  23. Web site: Disclosure of New AIM-174B Missile Brings Navy's Future Air-to-Air Strategy Into Focus . Rogoway . Tyler . 2024-07-08 . TWZ . 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..
  24. Web site: Disclosure of New AIM-174B Missile Brings Navy's Future Air-to-Air Strategy Into Focus . Rogoway . Tyler . 2024-07-08 . TWZ . 2024-07-07 . Also, published figures are often severely degraded for security purposes, so the actual range of the SM-6 remains unknown, especially across its various use cases. Regardless, 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..
  25. Web site: New long-range missile project emerges in US budget . November 2, 2017 . November 25, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171126120146/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/new-long-range-missile-project-emerges-in-us-budget-442816/ . November 26, 2017 . live.
  26. Web site: Phoenix Successor Redux: The USNS Range Riposte to China's PL-17 . 2024-07-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240731024659/https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2024/07/phoenix-successor-redux-the-usns-range-riposte-to-chinas-pl-17/. 2024-07-31 . A possible target set for the now-in-service AIM-174B is what are sometimes referred to as high value airborne assets (HVAA). HVAAs include airborne early warning, electromagnetic combat and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft as well as aircraft capable of carrying long-range anti-ship missiles of various descriptions..
  27. Web site: The Navy's New Air-to-Air Capability Could Set Roadmap for Repurposing Old Systems . Eaglen . Mackenzie . Spiller . Cole . 2024-07-16 . Breaking Defense . 2024-07-07 . The extensive range and air-launched capability are poised to greatly bolster the US Navy's fleet defense and high value asset attack, weakening the stranglehold of China's anti-carrier strategy… This would hold crucial backline airborne assets line airborne early warning (AEW) and tanker aircraft at risk, and even directly strike China's distant H-6 “carrier killer” bombers, destroying them before they launch their weapons..
  28. Web site: AIM-174 Missile Seen On Super Hornet About To Launch From A Carrier For First Time . Rogoway . Tyler . 2024-07-23 . TWZ . 2024-07-07 . The AIM-174 designation points to an air-to-air focus, but the surface-launched SM-6 has the ability to strike targets at sea and on land. [sic] capabilities the air-launched version could well retain. Future air-launched variants or derivatives of the SM-6 family could be further optimized for anti-ship or air-to-ground strikes..
  29. Web site: Phoenix Successor Redux: The USNS Range Riposte to China's PL-17 . 2024-07-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240731024659/https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2024/07/phoenix-successor-redux-the-usns-range-riposte-to-chinas-pl-17/. 2024-07-31 . The new missile could possibly also provide a capability against air-launched ballistic missiles..

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