In this article:
AIM-174B first public appearance
Taken on May 4, 2025 the photos in this post feature an F/A-18F Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron [VFA] 102, attached to Carrier Air Wing [CVW] 5 showcasing the US Navy new AIM-174B long-range air-to-air missile during the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force-Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Friendship Day, an annual event fostering cultural exchange and military cooperation between the US and Japan.
Mounted under the wings of the F/A-18F, the missile was displayed alongside an F-35C Lightning II from VFA-147 inside Hangar 5300 at the Iwakuni base.
Since the missile’s operational deployment in July 2024, this public appearance is likely the first for the AIM-174 and according to Bulgarian Military it underscores a deliberate move by the US military to highlight its advancing capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, a region marked by growing strategic tensions.
The event, attended by local residents and military personnel, offered a rare glimpse into a weapon system designed to reshape air combat dynamics, particularly in response to evolving threats from adversaries like China.
A significant leap in the US Navy’s air-to-air arsenal
The Super Hornet carried on its inner pylons the inert CATM-174B variant – the AIM-174B represents a significant leap in the US Navy’s air-to-air arsenal.
The AIM-174 is an air-to-air variant of the SM-6 and is the first dedicated long-range air-to-air missile employed by the USN since the 2004 retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix carried by the iconic F-14 Tomcat.
A Super Hornet carrying what appeared to be an SM-6 while in flight was photographed for the first time in April 2021.
Then, in June 2024, the AIM-174B appeared on USN F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft at the biennial RIMPAC exercise.
In July 2024, the USN announced it had operationally deployed an air-launched variant of the RIM-174, designated AIM-174B Standard Missile 6 Air Launched Configuration.
VFA-102
VFA-102 is an F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter squadron operating from Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan, and attached to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5.
Established in 1955 as VF-102 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida, the Diamondbacks began initial training in gunnery, bombing, nuclear weapons delivery and high altitude intercepts in the F2H-4 Banshee.
The Diamondbacks began the transition to their current platform, the F/A-18F Super Hornet, following a 2001 deployment. Over the next two years, the Diamondbacks, newly re-designated as VFA-102, moved from NAS Oceana to NAS Lemoore, participated in work-ups at NAF Key West and NAS Fallon and successfully trained twenty-two nugget aircrew in the latest strike fighter tactics.
The F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft flown by the unit is the world’s most advanced strike fighter. Designed to operate from a carrier, the Super Hornet is fully capable in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The Super Hornet is the second major model upgrade since the inception of the F/A-18 aircraft program highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike.
Photo credit: Lance Cpl. Rylan Adcock / U.S. Marine Corps
