US Navy F/A-18F fighter jet with multiple missiles, including the latest AIM-174, has been photographed
Large-scale exercises Gray Flag 2024 took place in the United States in southern California. During them, for the first time, photographs were taken of the F/A-18F Super Hornet carrier-based fighter with a large number of missiles on board, including the latest AIM-174.
This was reported by Howard Altman, a columnist for the American magazine The War Zone.
The footage shows the combat aircraft with a full combat load. It includes four of the latest aviation AIM-174B air-to-air missiles, three AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range missiles and two AIM-9X Sidewinders for close-in combat. It also has an IRST infrared search and track system and an ATFLIR thermal imaging guidance system.
Experts say such a heavy payload cannot be used for shipboard operations in most situations due to aircraft weight restrictions when landing on deck, but could prove extremely useful for ground missions.
In the footage, the Super Hornet is accompanied by an F-35C, also from the Navy, and an F-15E, representing the U.S. Air Force. The F/A-18, loaded with missiles and equipment, is part of VX-9, the 9th Test and Evaluation Squadron.
In addition to the U.S. Air Force and Navy, the exercise involved units from the Marine Corps, the U.S. Army, and unnamed allies. The event took place at Point Mugu Air Force Base in California.
The AIM-174B is an air-launched version of the SM-6 surface-to-air missile. Altman believes that this weapon will play a key role for the US Navy in future air combat, especially in the event of a full-scale armed conflict with China in the Pacific region.
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