During the recent Pacific Rim military exercises, military enthusiasts in Hawaii captured footage of a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet carrying two large air-to-air missiles under its wings. Upon closer inspection, the missiles were identified as “NAIM-174B,” training versions of the Standard 6 missile for air launches. It is speculated that the air-launched version of the Standard 6 missile has a range exceeding 370 kilometers, making it the U.S. military’s latest addition to long-range air-to-air missiles following the AIM-54 “Phoenix”. After this news surfaced, the U.S. Navy confirmed to the media that the air-launched Standard 6 missile, capable of air defense and anti-ship operations, had already been deployed in naval combat readiness.
The Standard 6 missile, although possessing long range capabilities, is too bulky and heavy to fit into the internal weapons bays of fifth-generation fighter jets. The AIM-260 is a new type of air-to-air missile set to be introduced by the U.S. Air Force, tailored by Lockheed Martin specifically for fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-22 and F-35, designed to fit their internal weapons bays to adapt to complex future aerial combat environments. It is speculated that the AIM-260’s range could be twice that of the currently active AIM-120D3, potentially exceeding 300 kilometers. The service entry of the AIM-260 can effectively expand the operational radius and battlefield survivability of fifth-generation stealth fighter jets.
The Standard 6 missile, developed by Raytheon, is the latest naval air defense missile primarily designed for air defense and terminal phase interception. This missile does not emphasize significant technological breakthroughs and incorporates many off-the-shelf components, essentially seen as a hybrid of the RIM-156A, namely the Standard 2ER Block IV missile, combined with the active radar guidance head of the AIM-120. This approach not only shortens the development cycle but also significantly reduces development costs while ensuring reliability.
The basic version of the shipborne Standard 6 missile measures 6.6 meters in length, weighs 1.5 tons, has a maximum speed of 3.5 Mach, and utilizes inertial guidance combined with command correction, along with a terminal phase dual-mode radar guidance system. The Standard 6 employs a conventional fragmentation warhead weighing around 60 kilograms. The air-launched Standard 6 missile removes the tail booster, as the fighter jet itself can provide the missile with kinetic energy in the air, and the terminal guidance system based on the AIM-120 guidance head is suitable for intercepting aerial targets.
The Standard 6 missile not only has the capability to engage aerial targets but also possesses anti-ship capabilities. The maximum performance of the air-launched Standard 6 is believed to be comparable to its shipborne version, with a potentially longer operational range of up to 400 kilometers for engaging maritime targets. Besides air defense missions, the air-launched Standard 6 missile could provide the U.S. Navy aviation forces with a new anti-ship and ground attack capability.
In addition to the Navy, the U.S. Army is also integrating Standard 6 missiles into the land-based Medium-Range Missile Defense System. Starting from shipborne air defense and anti-ship operations, and now branching out into air-launched and land-launched versions, the Standard 6 has evolved into a versatile missile system.
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