The AIM-174B variant of the Raytheon SM-6 surface-to-air missile was operated from U.S. Navy platforms.
The US has deployed its new long-range air-to-air missile that could potentially upset the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific in the US-China “Cold War”. The AIM-174B missile, carried on board the US Navy's F-18 Super Hornet as seen in many photos, reportedly has an operational range of around 400 km.
The AIM-174B derivative of the Raytheon SM-6 surface-to-air missile operated from U.S. Navy platforms. The SM-6 is a multi-role missile used for anti-aircraft, anti-ballistic missile, and anti-surface warfare.
The AIM-174B was reportedly first spotted during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world's largest naval exercise with 26 participants. The missile was attached to a hardpoint under the wings of the Super Hornet, and attracted attention for its potential to upset the balance of power in the air.
All about AIM-17B
Air Interceptor Missile (AIM)-174B is the air-to-air version of the SM-6 missile. It is immediately available thanks to the existing production line for the SM-6 missile. The Raytheon SM-6 missile has a booster stage, which propels the missile into the air, followed by a solid rocket booster and a sustainer motor of the missile to hit the target.
The SM-6 weighs about 1,500 kilograms, while the AIM-174 weighs about 850 kg due to the lack of a booster engine. The new missile of the US Navy has a speed of Mach 3.5, or 3.5 times the speed of sound. The missile is considered a direct equivalent of the Russian Rh-37 Vympel long-range hypersonic air-to-air missile with a range of 400 km and the Chinese PL-15 long-range missile with a range of 300-350 km.
The SM-6 missile is three missiles in one
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China PLA Navy has reportedly deployed an advanced version of PL-15, PL-17 missile, with a range of 400 km. The last dedicated long-range air-to-air missile the US Navy had was the AIM-54 Phoenix for the F-14 Tomcat. The fighter jet and the missile were retired in 2004.
Why air-to-air missiles in the age of stealth fighter aircraft?
The US and China are building new generation stealth fighter jets on a large scale, capable of evading enemy radars by remaining undetected and striking within their territory. The US started with the F-117 Nighthawk fighter-bomber, then the F-22 Raptor and now the F-35, the most advanced fighter jet in the world.
China is not lagging behind with its Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.
If stealth fighters can avoid detection, why do countries turn to long-range air-to-air missiles? The answer is fear. China has developed the PL-15 long-range missile, which can be deployed on the J-20, meaning a stealth fighter can now attack targets from afar without being detected. More recently, the PL-17 was deployed on its J-16 fourth-generation fighter. China’s move changed the balance of power in the air in the volatile East Asian region.
The P-15 is reportedly capable of destroying targets at a range of 300 km
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A stealth Chinese aircraft could theoretically spot non-stealth American planes and shoot them down far beyond enemy range, where they could even fight back, Reuters reported, citing Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.
Even U.S. stealth aircraft would have to fly dangerously close to fire their missiles. “If a Chinese fighter can outrange an American fighter, that means they can get the first shot,” she said. “It’s hard to outrun something that’s going Mach 4.”
The AIM-174B was quickly developed to meet this need. Now, American fighter jets can attack Chinese military installations from great distances, avoiding the danger of flying close to targets.
Justin Bronk, an expert on air power and technology at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told Reuters that China is developing long-range missiles, but that the radar on launchers may not be able to spot targets at such distances. “If you go too big and heavy with missiles, you end up running out of fuel,” he said.
An Airborne Warning and Control (AWAC) aircraft acts as an air command center during combat and combat patrol missions. These aircraft detect the enemy from a long distance. The new missiles will be tasked with hitting high-value targets such as the AWACs.
The Island Chains
A potential direct military confrontation between the US and China could occur near the South China Sea, a major transit route for maritime trade and the US Navy. China has threatened Taiwan with a military invasion, and in the event of a full-scale Chinese attack, the US is legally obligated to defend Taiwan.
The Taiwan Relations Act requires the US to pursue a policy of providing Taiwan with weapons of a defensive nature.
John Foster Dulles, American foreign policy statesman, proposed the Island Chain Strategy to contain the expansion of the USSR and China by establishing military bases in the Western Pacific. The USSR collapsed in 1991, but Chinese economic and military expansion made the strategy important.
It works on several lines of defense for the US to stop a military invasion. The strategy has its origins in World War II when Imperial Japan took over most of East Asia and attacked Pearl Harbor, effectively bringing the US into the war.
Any military conflict around the South China Sea falls within the First Island Chain, which consists of the Kuril Islands, claimed by Japan but under Russian control, the Japanese archipelago, Taiwan, the northern Philippines, and Borneo.
The First Island Chain is a major geopolitically important border for the US territory with vast amounts of natural resources and economic significance. Any conflict would mean that the US would be operating in close proximity to China.
The First Island Chain is the US's first line of defense
Photo credit: www.960cyber.afrc.af.mil
The US would be even closer to China if Beijing were to invade Taiwan. An AIM-174B missile would keep the carriers and fighter jets at a safer distance and keep PLA fighters and carriers out of range. Reuters reported, citing a Taiwan-based strategist, that this would increase the likelihood of the US directly engaging in a military conflict with China over Taiwan.
The groundbreaking missile would push the US further into the South China Sea region, further fueling a comparison that has so far favored China.
India and its air-to-air missile arsenal
India has developed the Astra Mk1 beyond visual range air-to-air missile which is operational and is mounted on the Su-30MKI fighter jet. The Astra Mk1 has a speed of Mach 4.5 with a range of 100 kilometers. The Astra Mk2 and Mk3 are being tested but are far behind what the US and China have.
The use of extremely long-range BVR missiles is based on the requirements of the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy, unlike the US and China. The Astra Mk1 is operational on the Su-30MKI, so currently only the IAF uses the missile, but later it will be developed for other aircraft as well. India uses the Russian Novator KS-172 and the French MICA air-to-air missile.