A quiet but significant transformation is reshaping the U.S. Navy’s air combat capabilities. Nearly a year after its first operational deployment, the AIM-174B—officially designated as the Standard Missile 6 Air Launched Configuration—has now earned a new name: “Gunslinger.” Revealed in the Naval Aviation Playbook 2025, this nickname marks more than just tradition—it signals a shift in doctrine, capability, and strategic outlook as the U.S. prepares for potential high-end conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.
Vice Admiral Daniel L. Cheever, Commander of Naval Air Forces, included “Gunslinger” among the F/A-18 Super Hornet’s expanded arsenal in the annual playbook, signaling the missile’s arrival as a mainstay of naval air warfare. From a symbolic standpoint, the new name invokes a Wild West ethos of reach, precision, and decisive lethality. In technical terms, it fills a gaping hole in the Navy’s air-to-air toolkit left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix in 2004.
At its core, the AIM-174B is an evolution of the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM)—better known as the SM-6. Originally designed as a ship-launched anti-air and anti-missile weapon, the SM-6 has long been a staple of the Navy’s Aegis Combat System, capable of intercepting cruise missiles, aircraft, and even terminal-phase ballistic missiles. With a range exceeding 200 nautical miles and a top speed of Mach 3.5, it has proven itself as a flexible, multi-mission tool in naval warfare.
But the SM-6’s transformation into an air-launched configuration (ALC) dramatically extends its utility. Rebranded as the AIM-174B, the missile has been adapted to launch from F/A-18E/F Super Hornets—without the Mk72 booster required for shipboard vertical launch systems. This adaptation turns the Super Hornet into a true long-range interceptor, with reach beyond the capabilities of the widely-used AIM-120 AMRAAM.
Though still shrouded in some secrecy, the AIM-174B’s current deployment suggests a clear purpose: countering Chinese anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) threats and targeting high-value enemy aircraft at distances once thought unattainable by U.S. tactical fighters.
First seen under operational conditions during RIMPAC 2024, the AIM-174B was spotted mounted on Super Hornets of Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) aboard the USS Carl Vinson. Its deployment then expanded to CVW-5, stationed at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan—a location of strategic importance just a few hundred miles from the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.
In parallel, developmental testing had already concluded, and the missile entered Operational Testing (OT) and Live Fire (LF) phases under the supervision of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). By July 2024, the Navy officially confirmed its deployment, signaling that it had reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC).
Photos taken during Friendship Day at MCAS Iwakuni in May 2025 showed AIM-174Bs slung under Super Hornets assigned to CVW-5—confirming its presence in the only permanently forward-deployed air wing and aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. That fact alone underscores its strategic weight: the U.S. is placing its newest air-to-air weapon closest to the heart of potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
The AIM-174B doesn’t just represent a new missile—it closes a two-decade gap in U.S. Navy capabilities. When the AIM-54 Phoenix was retired alongside the F-14 Tomcat in 2004, the Navy lost a weapon that could engage targets over 100 nautical miles away. The AMRAAM, though effective and versatile, has a shorter reach and was never designed to replace the Phoenix in long-range intercepts.
Meanwhile, rivals have surged ahead. China’s PL-15 and upcoming PL-21 missiles, Russia’s R-37M, and Europe’s MBDA Meteor are all part of a new generation of beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) that offer speeds, ranges, and no-escape zones far greater than legacy weapons. The AIM-174B now puts the U.S. Navy back into that league—and possibly at the front of it.
Critically, when launched from altitude and speed—say, by a Super Hornet at 35,000 feet—the AIM-174B may even exceed the already-impressive 200 nautical mile range of its sea-launched cousin. It also integrates seamlessly with advanced targeting systems like the ASG-34A IRST pod and benefits from networked targeting through platforms like the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, F-35C, and Aegis-equipped ships via the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) architecture.
This allows for “sensor-to-shooter” targeting across domains: one platform identifies the threat, another launches the missile, and the missile homes in on the target using its active radar seeker derived from the AIM-120.
The Indo-Pacific is where the AIM-174B is expected to make the biggest difference. In a potential conflict with China, the U.S. and its allies would face a densely layered A2/AD network of surface-to-air missiles (like the HQ-9B), long-range radars, and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft like the KJ-500. These assets give Chinese forces eyes and weapons far beyond their shores.
The AIM-174B disrupts that calculus. With its reach, U.S. fighters can now target and destroy high-value aircraft like AEW&C and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) platforms from standoff distances, well outside enemy missile envelopes. It shifts the burden onto China to defend its forward-operating platforms—and makes them more hesitant to commit them.
It also dovetails with the Pentagon’s broader move toward Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO)—doctrines built around long-range strike, flexible basing, and rapid response in a contested environment. By extending the “kill chain,” the AIM-174B enables U.S. naval aviation to strike further, faster, and with less risk.
Despite its promise, the AIM-174B is not without hurdles. The missile’s size and weight are considerable, meaning it takes up more space than AMRAAMs and requires specific hardpoints on the Super Hornet. Its availability remains limited, with most public sightings featuring inert training rounds rather than live ordnance.
Further testing and refinement are likely needed to fully integrate the missile with fleet-wide tactics, training, and logistics. There’s also the question of how widely it can or should be fielded. Will it eventually equip other platforms like the F-35C or possibly land-based Air Force fighters? Or will it remain a Navy-only asset designed for niche, long-range intercept roles?
There’s also the matter of cost and production. As a derivative of the SM-6—a complex and expensive missile—scaling up AIM-174B production for widespread deployment would require major investment and careful prioritization.
Still, for now, the arrival of “Gunslinger” is being treated as a success. It restores a dormant capability, deters potential adversaries, and represents a significant technical and tactical leap for U.S. naval aviation.
The AIM-174B “Gunslinger” may not have made headlines like a new aircraft or drone system, but its implications are just as significant. It answers a longstanding vulnerability in the Navy’s air warfare toolkit and offers a credible solution to emerging peer threats in the Pacific.
At a time when U.S. naval forces are shifting from counterinsurgency and regional policing toward great-power competition, especially with China, having a missile that can strike further, faster, and with pinpoint accuracy is more than a tactical win—it’s a strategic imperative.
