AIM-174B Missile:
The US Navy has introduced the AIM-174B aiming to counter China’s aerial dominance.
- AIM-174B Missile is an air-launched variant of the versatile SM-6 missile of the US Navy.
- It became operational in July, 2024 and is derived by Raytheon, an Aerospace and defense company.
- It is an extremely long-range air-to-air missile.
- It is capable of striking targets up to 400 km (250 miles) away and it surpasses the range of China’s PL-15 missile.
- It has been deployed in the Indo-Pacific region. This deployment is part of a broader strategy to enhance US power projection as tensions in the region escalate.
- It is an engaging high-priority ground targets, such as air defence sites and warships, functioning in a quasi-ballistic manner.
- One of the significant advantages of the AIM-174B is its ability to fly several times farther than the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the previous long-range US missile.
- The AIM-174B retains the surface strike capability of the SM-6, making it useful for targeting large maritime vessels.
- The AIM-174B allows the US to keep PLA carrier-hunting aircraft out of firing range and even threaten Chinese planes attacking Taiwan.
