The United States has unveiled the AIM-174, a next-generation air-to-air missile designed to counter China’s expanding Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) strategies. This advanced weapon system promises to play a pivotal role in deterring Chinese aggression in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, two regions critical to US interests in Asia. By offering unprecedented offensive and defensive capabilities, the AIM-174 is set to become a cornerstone of US naval air power, particularly as tensions between the two superpowers grow.
The existence of the AIM-174 was confirmed in 2024, following its appearance during US Navy exercises, including Hawaii’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) war games. This new air-launched missile is based on the SM-6 surface-to-air missile, marking a significant leap in the US Navy’s long-range strike and defense abilities. With an estimated range of 320 kilometers, the AIM-174 is equipped to engage multiple targets—be it air, sea, or ballistic missiles—while extending beyond the reach of older systems currently in use.
This cutting-edge missile, according to The War Zone, is part of a broader US strategy aimed at countering China’s increasingly formidable A2/AD network. A2/AD is a military strategy that seeks to prevent an adversary from entering a theater of operations, often through the use of long-range missile systems, sophisticated anti-ship weapons, and advanced surveillance technologies. China has been rapidly advancing its A2/AD capabilities to protect its growing influence over contested territories, particularly in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. The AIM-174 is the US’s latest response to this evolving threat.
As tensions rise in the Pacific, the AIM-174 is expected to be a critical asset in extending the operational reach of US carrier strike groups and protecting them from Chinese missile threats. Its air-launched capability enables US Navy aircraft to strike targets far beyond sensor range, leveraging what’s known as a “kill web”—a networked system that connects multiple air, sea, and space-based sensors to detect and engage threats in real-time.
According to defense analysts, the missile’s ability to engage targets at extreme distances is a game-changer for US forces operating in the vast Pacific theater. It shifts the balance of power by allowing US aircraft to operate from a safer distance, keeping carrier strike groups out of range of China’s advanced anti-ship missile systems, such as the DF-21D “carrier killer” ballistic missile.
The AIM-174 may also employ what’s known as the “shooting the archer” doctrine. This concept involves targeting the platforms launching enemy missiles, such as bombers or warships, before they come into striking range. By taking out these platforms early, the US can neutralize threats to its carrier groups and other high-value assets, improving survivability in contested areas like the Taiwan Strait.
China’s military advances in recent years have focused on improving its A2/AD capabilities, particularly through the development of hypersonic weapons. In November 2022, China’s Xian H-6K strategic bomber was spotted carrying a new air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile, thought to be derived from the CM-401. This missile, with its Mach 6 speed and range of 290 kilometers, is designed for standoff strikes against US forces and bases in the Pacific.
The hypersonic missile’s air-launch capability significantly extends its range and operational flexibility, posing a serious challenge to US military planners. Hypersonic missiles are notoriously difficult to intercept due to their high speed and maneuverability. Like Russia’s Kinzhal missile, China’s hypersonic weapons are part of a broader effort to diversify its strike platforms, ensuring the ability to target US forces from land, sea, and air.
China’s hypersonic advancements have dramatically altered the strategic landscape in the Pacific, presenting a direct threat to US bases in Guam and Wake Island, both key staging areas for American military operations in the region. These weapons are a key part of China’s A2/AD strategy, which is designed to keep US forces at bay and make it difficult for them to intervene in a conflict over Taiwan or other contested areas.
The AIM-174’s versatility extends beyond traditional air-to-air combat. In addition to intercepting ballistic missiles and engaging enemy aircraft, the AIM-174 is capable of taking out larger, slower-moving targets, including high-value platforms like tankers, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, and airborne electronic warfare platforms.
One such target is China’s Y-9LG airborne electronic warfare platform, which entered service in 2023. Equipped with a “balance beam” radar, the Y-9LG is designed to disrupt enemy communications, radar, and navigation systems, while gathering intelligence on threat emitters. This aircraft is similar in function to the US Air Force’s EC-37B Compass Call, a platform critical for degrading enemy sensor networks and communication links during combat.
China’s investment in such platforms is part of its broader push to achieve electronic dominance in any future conflict. By disrupting enemy sensors and communications, China aims to create “blind spots” in US defenses, allowing its forces to operate with greater freedom in contested areas. The AIM-174, with its extended range and advanced targeting systems, could be a key weapon in countering these electronic warfare threats, ensuring that US forces maintain their technological edge in the Pacific.
Despite its impressive capabilities, the AIM-174’s reliance on kill web systems also introduces potential vulnerabilities. Kill webs, unlike traditional kill chains, involve the integration of data from multiple sources, including satellites, ships, aircraft, and ground-based sensors. This complex web of information-sharing allows for a more flexible and resilient defense, but it also increases the risk of failure if any part of the system is disrupted.
A 2021 RAND report highlighted the vulnerabilities of US kill chains and kill webs, noting that their reliance on networked systems could be exploited through electronic warfare, cyber-attacks, or other disruptive technologies. The report emphasized that any break in the chain—whether through the loss of a sensor, a communication link, or a decision-making node—could cripple the system’s effectiveness, leaving US forces vulnerable to attack.
China’s military doctrine, known as “system destruction warfare,” focuses precisely on this kind of disruption. According to a 2023 presentation by Joel Wuthnow for the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aims to incapacitate enemy forces by dismantling their ability to conduct coordinated operations. This doctrine targets critical operational systems—such as command structures, reconnaissance intelligence, and firepower—through both kinetic and non-kinetic means, including advanced precision munitions, electronic warfare, and cyberattacks.
China’s system destruction warfare doctrine reflects its broader strategic objectives, which emphasize the use of emerging technologies to paralyze adversary forces. The PLA’s modernization efforts, including the development of new hardware like the J-20 stealth fighter, Type-055 cruisers, and advanced hypersonic missiles, are geared toward enhancing its ability to destroy enemy systems and prevent them from coordinating an effective response.
China’s focus on “multi-domain precision warfare,” which leverages AI and big data to enhance targeting and decision-making, represents a significant evolution in modern military operations. This approach is aimed at creating highly integrated, information-driven battle networks capable of overwhelming US and allied forces in any potential conflict.
However, despite these advances, China’s military may still face challenges in fully implementing its system destruction doctrine. Institutional legacies, such as centralized decision-making and a lack of joint operational experience, may limit the PLA’s ability to conduct truly integrated operations. Nevertheless, China’s rapid progress in developing new capabilities highlights the growing threat it poses to US forces in the Pacific.
As the AIM-174 enters operational service, it marks a significant step forward for the US Navy in its efforts to counter China’s growing A2/AD capabilities. The missile’s ability to strike at long distances, engage multiple types of targets, and integrate into advanced kill web systems provides the US with a powerful new tool for maintaining its military advantage in the Pacific.
However, the ongoing competition between the US and China is far from settled. Both nations are investing heavily in new technologies—ranging from hypersonic missiles to AI-driven warfare systems—that will shape the future of military conflict. For now, the AIM-174 offers the US a critical edge, but the rapidly evolving nature of warfare in the Pacific ensures that this advantage could be fleeting.
The US will need to continue refining its strategies and investing in new technologies to stay ahead of China’s formidable military machine. Whether through the development of more advanced missiles, improved kill web systems, or enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, the US must remain vigilant in the face of an increasingly sophisticated and determined adversary.
