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AIM-174B Gunslinger
American very long-range air-to-air missile From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The AIM-174B Gunslinger is a very long-range[1][2] air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and used by the United States Navy (USN). The AIM-174B is a derivative of the RIM-174B 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-174B as the "Air-Launched Configuration"[3] of the SM-6. The AIM-174B's existence was first revealed publicly in July 2024 at RIMPAC 2024 and has been confirmed to be capable of being carried and launched only by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.[4]
Described as a "massive"[5] AAM, the Gunslinger has a confirmed range of 150 miles (130 nautical miles or 240 kilometers), though it is widely speculated that the range may be much greater.
In addition to the AIM-174's air-to-air role, the Gunslinger is believed capable of engaging other missiles (including ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons), and may also serve as an air-to-ground and anti-ship missile.
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History
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Since the 2004 retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix AAM, the USN has not fielded a dedicated long-range air-to-air missile.[6][7] 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.[8] The publication Naval News reported that they were following developments of an "air-launched SM-6" since 2015,[9] while The Aviationist reported that photos of Super Hornets carrying "an SM-6 variant" appeared in 2018.[10] Aviation Weekly reported the "RIM-174/SM-6" being "integrated" into the Super Hornet platform in April 2021.[11]
Little is known about the missile as it is speculated that it was developed as a special access program,[12] similar to the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile[13] (of which little is officially known).[14] As the AIM-260 is similarly a very long-range air-to-air missile, it is unclear what the relationship between the AIM-174B 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.[15] Both the AIM-174 and -260 are separate from the currently under-development Long-Range Engagement Weapon of the USAF.
In May 2025, the USN "playbook" Naval Aviation 2025[16] revealed that the official nickname for the AIM-174B is "Gunslinger".[17]
The Gunslinger has armed only USN F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, though there is speculation that other airframes could mount the weapon, such as the USAF's McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, or the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.[18][19] The Gunslinger has been deployed operationally to three USN Nimitz-class supercarriers as of October 2025; the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS George Washington (CVN-73), and the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).[20]
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Design
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Photos reveal that the Gunslinger is externally virtually identical to the RIM-174, apart from the marked lack of the solid-fuel rocket Mk 72 booster on the AIM-174.[21] The missile will likely utilize a solid-fuel rocket engine, as carried by the RIM-174.[22] The Gunslinger may also employ warheads capable of "area effects".[23] The "standard" warhead is 140 lb (64 kg) and consists of a high-explosive charge with blast-fragmentation properties[24] and is over three times the weight of an AMRAAM warhead.[25]
Variously described as a "large"[26] and "outsized"[19] weapon, the Gunslinger is 1,900 lb (860 kg),[27] nearly double the weight of the AIM-54C Phoenix,[28] and is over five times heavier than the AIM-120 AMRAAM.[29]
The Gunslinger is capable speeds of at least Mach 3.5 (2,664.2 mph; 4,287.7 km/h; 1.2 km/s).[30][31][32]
In September 2024, photos emerged of a F/A-18F Super Hornet of the VX-9 'Vampires' carrying four AIM-174Bs, three AIM-120 AMRAAMs, two AIM-9Xs, an IRST21 sensor mounted in an FPU-13/A drop tank,[33] and an AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR pod simultaneously.[34]
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Range and use
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While details regarding the AIM-174's range are vague, certain surface-launched RIM-174 variants are capable of about 290 mi (250 nmi; 470 km) launches;[35] with the benefit of being launched at speed and higher altitude (where the air creates less drag),[36] the AIM-174's range may extend hundreds of miles[37][38] though the USN has only confirmed a range of 130 nmi (150 mi; 240 km).[39][40][41] Estimates of the Gunslinger's maximum range are around 250 mi (220 nmi; 400 km) to 300 mi (260 nmi; 480 km).[42][43][44]
While the AIM-174 lacks the SM-6's Mk 72 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 (300–400+ kilometres), relative to other air-launched missiles.[45] The AIM-174 may also be capable of "lofting," a technique whereby the launched missile immediately ascends upwards to attain altitudes generally between 80,000 ft (24,384 m) to 100,000 ft (30,480 m).[46] The AIM-174's predecessor,[47] the AIM-54 Phoenix BVRAAM was capable of employing this launch profile (along with certain AIM-7 Sparrow variants[48] and all AIM-120 AMRAAM variants).[49] 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.[50] The USN also routinely understates the publicly-available ranges and capabilities of weapon systems for strategic security purposes.[51] 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)[52] of the in-service AIM-120D AMRAAM.
Very long-range AAMs such as the extant R-37M and the nascent PL-21 are typically intended for use against large airborne targets.[53][54] 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 Xi'an H-6 — threatening USN fleets.[55][56]
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.[57][58] 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.[59][60] The United States Missile Defense Agency has also indicated that the Gunslinger has "counter-hypersonic missile" capabilities.[61]
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Variants
- YAIM-174 (prototype)
- XAIM-174 (experimental, utilized for initial testing)
- NAIM-174 (platform to equipped with various sensors to transmit data relevant to the missile's use)
- AIM-174B (only known operational variant)
- CATM-174B (inert training variant with guidance electronics; no warhead or motor)
- DATM-174B (inert training "dummy" variant with no motor, warhead, or guidance electronics)
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Specifications (AIM-174B)
- Range: At least 150 mi (130 nmi; 241 km)
- Airspeed: Up to Mach 3.5 (2,664.2 mph; 4,287.7 km/h; 1.2 km/s)
- Warhead Weight: 140 lb (63.50 kg)
- Overall Weight: 1,900 lb (861.83 kg)
- Length: 15.5 ft (472.44 cm; 4.72 m)
- Diameter: 13.5 in (34.29 cm; 0.34 m)
- Wingspan: 61.8 in (156.97 cm; 1.57 m)
Source:[65]
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See also
Missiles of similar role, configuration, and era
- AAM-4TDR – (Japan)
- Meteor – (France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden)
- Astra – (India)
- PL-15 – (China)
- PL-17 – (China)
- R-77M – (Russia)
Related lists
References
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