US Explores AIM-174B Missile for Hypersonic Threat Defense

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is considering the use of long-range AIM-174B air-to-air missiles to counter hypersonic missiles.

This is reported by Naval News.

The announcement published by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) directly mentions the SM-6 Air Launched Capability (AIM-174B) as an option for the agency to develop, test and deploy new warheads designed for missile defense against hypersonic missiles.

The announcement expresses MDA’s interest in Phase II proposals, or those that have already demonstrated the ability to meet the performance requirements for high-level missile defense.

The part of the program, titled “Prototype Payloads,” identifies the need for “long-range concepts” at sea to defend against high-speed, maneuverable threats. According to the request, the future range concepts will complement the RIM-161 kinetic warhead anti-missile, as well as the RIM-174 end-stage defense and the maritime version of the PAC-3 MSE.

When asked by Naval News, MDA representatives explained that this work is exclusively about warheads, not delivery vehicles. The contractors’ expectations are to develop a warhead that can be integrated across multiple platforms, with a particular interest in air-launch capability.

MDA representatives also explained that interest is focused on mature, integrated products. The AIM-174B was specifically identified as an air-launched carrier of interest.

This is not the first attempt to create an air-to-air missile capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. For example, in the 2000s, the United States tested the NCADE system. This is an air-launched weapon system designed to engage short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at the acceleration and ascent stages.

In 2007, an F-16 from the Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) fired two modified AIM-9X missiles with an NCADE homing head at a test missile. The first shot intercepted and destroyed the target, and the second recorded an intercept. However, this product never entered mass production.

AIM-174B

The AIM-174 missile is an aviation variant of the RIM-174 (SM-6) long-range naval anti-aircraft missile, which is designed to intercept air and ballistic targets at long distances.

It is estimated that the maximum range of the AIM-174 air-to-air missile is about 400 km when launched from an altitude of about 6-7 km and a speed of about Mach 0.8.

The missile was developed in the interests of the US Navy aviation. It was first used during exercises in the Pacific region in July 2024.

You can read more about this missile in our special material – “AIM-174 Air-to-Air Missile: The Long Arm of US Carrier-Based Aviation”.