Disclaimer: Not meant as an outright request/suggestion post, more of a discussion
Yes
No
I just wanna see the results
I don’t care
0voters
Title. I figured I’d ask since we’re officially in the deep end regarding modern aircraft capability.
At best, it performs like the F-14 IRIAF where it gets kills sometimes, but not all the time.
At worst, it has only 4 (proper) BVR missiles of similar/better performance than Fakour-90 on a platform that’s basically barely supersonic whilst retaining AMRAAM for closer engagements much more suited for its airframe.
And hidden side benefit… it actually belongs in 14.3 and is future-proofed for any further BR decompression where it’s pushed up in this form.
But at minimum it’s about 30% longer ranged than the AIM-54 apparently. I think it could be added to the game and be balanced if it’s a 14.3 Pheonix equivalent. It’s going to be quite slow and you’d only get like 4 of them (and you can only take 4 AMRAAMs with such a loadout).
It would make the -E Hornet more unique and actually give it a niche at 14.3. It doesn’t need it per se but it gives it a reason to exist and grind out.
It’s based on the naval launched RIM-174 SM-6 which has a range of 240 km from basically a standstill. Even if we assume a Mach ~1 launch, it could be around 290-300 km maximum range (initially, until more information is released) for the AIM-174B. Also, idk if you’ve ever seen a SM-6 being launched but it’s definitely not slow.
It’s worth noting that the SM6 also has an extra booster to have a better delta V. The SM6 and the AIM-174B are just not the same missile. They’re from the same original design but definitely don’t have the same characteristics at all.
You’re correct that the booster adds extra delta V.
However, the main body of both missiles (the section powered by the Mk 104 motor) is fundamentally the same design. The “difference” in the system is the launch platform acting as the first stage.
The ship-launched RIM-174 needs the extra booster to get up to speed from a standstill at sea level. The AIM-174B is launched from an aircraft already moving at high speed and altitude, essentially using the Super Hornet’s energy instead of the Mk 72 booster.
The operational difference is purely in how they achieve their initial velocity/altitude, leading to differences in maximum engagement range, but they share the same primary missile capabilities.
I personally think its addition to this aircraft will be mostly harmless and pretty much continues US Naval aviation’s niche of having a long ranged BVR weapon (at least, until (or more likely, if) the Air Force catches up with AIM-260 or AIM-120C-5/D gets fixed/added) on top of everything else they have. In simpler terms, it’s not the same as something like a Eurofighter being given Meteor as opposed to a Hornet having near similar performance to the F-14 (and we know how useful those early game F-14s can be against people who know what they’re doing…).
It’s not restricted to a single Block, it is useable/being integrated across the entire Super Hornet fleet
hell no, i dont want gaijin to give the usa their longest range weapon, they would absolutely destroy it and making into something ungodly just to hamfist it into the game into a semi balanced shape.
why do you guys keep focusing on whats not in the game? ALL OF USA’S PROBLEMS ARE BECAUSE OF IMPLEMENTATION, we dont need aim120d, we dont need aim9x, we dont need f22, and we sure as hell dont need aim174b, we need aim120c5 to be an actual upgrade to aim120a
It would be nearly identical except in seeker performance and maximum range where it would be much better than that. It’s genuinely not that groundbreaking at all.
Sure, all of USA’s problems come from that 🤦♀️. I agree we don’t really need AIM-120D or 9X but that’s mostly across every eligible US jet (which is basically all of them). Keeping the AIM-174B exclusively to the Super Hornet gives it something unique + an actual thing to want to grind for besides a heavier, slower Hornet with AESA.
Also, the F-22 (alongside the F-35) is probably the only saving grace the US tech tree has left in terms of pure capability so… I wouldn’t say they don’t need it lol
super hornet isnt an air supremacy fighter, if the aim120c5 were actually good it would be well equipped enough to defend itself, the main issue with the super hornet is that it doesnt have ANY advanced a2g munitions.