AIM 174B Missile Brings US future of Navy Anti-China air combat strategy into focus
AIM 174B Missile Brings US future of Navy : Now that the air-launched version of the U.S. Navy’s multi-role, long-range surface-launched SM-6 missile, the AIM-174B, has been officially accepted, we’re getting a clearer view of the service’s master plan to counter China in the air-to-air warfare arena.
The addition of the AIM-174B to the Navy’s stockpile now points to a four-tiered air-to-air missile portfolio designed to help penetrate Beijing’s anti-access overlay that extends far beyond its shores. It gives the Navy a new way to degrade China’s ability to blockade Taiwan and provides a level of air defense for naval assets from long-range attacks like we’ve never seen before.
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What is Quality of AIM-174B ?
An F/A-18E from Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192), the “Golden Dragons”, with inactive AIM-174B missiles under each wing, is seen at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 2, 2024.
This is the SM-6 being launched from a VLS cell. Now, the AIM-174B version does not have a rocket booster and is a very long-range missile when it is carried from an aircraft. If you launch from 30,000 feet, you don’t really need a booster, especially if you are already traveling close to Mach 1.
While we knew the Navy had been testing an air-launched SM-6 derivative for several years, at least in some capacity, the fact that it is an operational weapon only came to light last week. TWZ was among the first to report that this new weapon had broken cover, appearing under the wings of fleet Super Hornets taking part in the Navy’s massive RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii. You can read our full analysis of this long-awaited revelation here. Since then, our friends at Naval News have received confirmation from the Navy that the missile is now in operational service with its fleet squadrons.
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