The US military’s mysterious missiles appear in the same frame for the first time! Super Hornet mounts AIM-174B, AIM-260A

An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter of the U.S. Navy's VX-31 Test Squadron flew over southern California, carrying both AIM-174B and AIM-260A air-to-air missiles. The central fuel tank on the belly of the aircraft was integrated with an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet test aircraft was recently photographed carrying two long-range air-to-air missiles, the AIM-174B and the AIM-260A, over southern California. Military news website Naval News reported that this appears to be the first time that two types of missiles have been publicly recorded appearing on the same fighter plane at the same time.

The report pointed out that this fighter aircraft belonging to the U.S. Navy Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) was photographed by an aviation photographer near Ridgecrest, California. It also carried a Lockheed. IRST21 infrared search and tracking system plug-in module developed by Lockheed Martin.

The mission positioning of the two missiles is different. AIM-174B is an air-launched version derived from the Navy's ship-borne Standard Six (SM-6) missile. It is mainly used for long-distance attacks on large, high-value air targets such as early warning aircraft, bombers, and aerial tankers.

The AIM-260A "Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM)" is a new generation of air-to-air missiles. The development goal is to supplement and gradually replace the AIM-120 "Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile" (AMRAAM) to enhance the ability to engage advanced air threats.

The two types of missiles are mounted at the same time, allowing the outside world to observe how the U.S. Navy tests air-to-air weapon configurations for different mission positions. However, the public images can only confirm the mounting status, and cannot be used to conclude that the two types of missiles have completed all integration tests, or that they have simultaneous launch and complete combat capabilities.

"Naval News" linked this configuration to the US Navy's "Air Wing of the Future (AWOTF)" plan. The plan will gradually introduce new sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and new weapons over the next 10 years, with the goal of expanding the combat range of existing fighters and adding new combat capabilities.

Reports pointed out that AIM-174B has participated in many large-scale exercises and been deployed to Japan’s frontline naval squadrons. AIM-260A continues to be tested; "Naval News" quoted a VX-31 Facebook post that has since been deleted, stating that the missile will complete more than 26 hours of flight testing in 2024.

This public image shows two types of missiles being mounted on the same test aircraft at the same time, providing a new public record for observing the development of the U.S. Navy's new generation of air-to-air weapons.