A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) has been photographed carrying both the AIM-174B and AIM-260 air-to-air missiles on the same aircraft for the first known time. The aircraft was spotted during a flight over Ridgecrest, California, on October 14 by aviation photographer @photosxlyss2, who shared the images with The War Zone.
The Super Hornet also carried an IRST21 infrared search-and-track pod on its centerline station during the flight.
The AIM-174B, based on the SM-6 missile family, provides the Navy with an extended-range air-to-air weapon. Its size and reach make it particularly relevant to engagements against high-value airborne assets, including aerial refueling tankers and airborne early warning and control aircraft, according to The War Zone. The missile’s range is classified but should be far in excess of that of the AIM-120D AMRAAM, probably in the hundreds of miles.
The AIM-174B has appeared in several major exercises, including RIMPAC 2024 and Northern Edge 2025. Following developmental trials at RIMPAC, the weapon entered Live Fire Test and Evaluation in 2025. Some examples of the missile have since reached forward-deployed Navy squadrons in Japan.
The AIM-260 is being developed to provide a next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability, intended to address increasingly sophisticated aerial threats and improve upon the capabilities of the AIM-120 AMRAAM family. Its precise specifications remain classified, but it is designed to deliver significantly greater range than the AIM-120 while maintaining a broadly similar form factor, according to The War Zone. The missile is intended for both external carriage and internal carriage aboard aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35.
The AIM-260 is being developed to counter the growing long-range air-to-air threat posed by China’s PL-15 and other advanced missiles. Although no official range figures have been disclosed, previous reporting has indicated a target range of at least 120 miles, with the potential to reach considerably farther.
It was another F/A-18F from VX-31 on which the AIM-260 was first publicly seen when departing Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in May of this year. The same type of weapon has since also appeared on a Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F.
It is unclear when the first operational AIM-260s may begin entering the U.S. inventory, according to The War Zone.
Sources: DVIDS News · DVIDS News