In an official release, the United States Navy (US Navy) published the first official images of one of its F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters equipped with the new AIM-174 long-range air-to-air missile. These photos were taken during the “Gray Flag” testing event, in which the U.S. armed forces bring their latest advancements in munitions and weaponry to the Point Mugu naval test range in California.
To date, both the U.S. Navy and Air Force are undertaking various programs focused on enhancing the beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air combat capabilities of their fighter jets. The motivation stems from new potential conflict scenarios, with the Asia-Pacific region as the main deployment area.
In this context, both armed services are seeking new missiles that exceed the range and capabilities of the current AIM-120 AMRAAM, exploring the adaptation of surface-to-air missile versions for air launches. Such is the case with the AIM-174, based on the SM-6 missiles used in the U.S. Navy’s destroyer air defense systems.
The first appearance of the AIM-174B, through widely shared images and videos, occurred last July during the Multinational Exercise RIMPAC, prompting the U.S. Navy to officially confirm the limited deployment of the new missile, though without images of the launch tests or the aircraft involved.
However, this stance changed with the official release of the first photograph of an F/A-18F Super Hornet equipped with four of the new AIM-174 missiles (two per wing) during the “Gray Flag” event. In the photos, the aircraft, belonging to the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9), also known as the “Vampires,” is accompanied by a Navy F-35C stealth fighter and a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle.
Additionally, the images reveal other details of the “heavy” air-to-air configuration adopted by the VX-9 Super Hornet, which sports a distinctive gloss black paint scheme. Alongside the new AIM-174s, it is armed with three AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles, complemented by short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles mounted on the wingtips.
A modified external fuel tank equipped with an infrared search and track (IRST) system is also visible on the aircraft’s underside, complemented by an ATFLIR targeting pod located to its left.
Regarding the event, the U.S. Navy stated: “Gray Flag is an annual large-force testing event that brings together the joint force to test and evaluate multi-domain systems in a maritime environment. Its objective is to ensure that our nation’s warfighters are equipped with effective, interoperable systems that help them deter aggression, protect our country’s prosperity and security, and return home safely to their families.”
Photos: U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughes.
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