Aircraft radars are limited in their power, and you simply don’t need a huge and expensive missile whose potential you can’t utilize due to the radar. Potentially, only the Tomcat could properly utilize SARH SMs. But the Phoenix was still in production. Also, don’t forget the missiles’ size and weight. Dropping a single AGM-78 missile would have created a significant imbalance for F-105D. There is also a huge question about cooling the seeker head, because the Phoenix required cooling.
The AIM-174B is the first because we have entered an era where AWACS and satellite communications can easily control the missile, and the Hornet is nothing more than a missile delivery vehicle. Oh, also it is ARH
SM-3 is impressive but I think that’s purely arising from its purpose as an exo-atmospheric missile compared to the others which unlocks a lot of unseen range. For me its not the same level of impressive as SM-2 purely given SM-2’s versatility and longevity.
Fun fact for you: the SM-3 is more or less an SM-2 Blk IV with an additional booster attached.
Indeed, but I think this was more a stroke of genius (and US doctrine of incremental development of proven systems) rather than purely seeing what sticks.
This is a gross oversimplification. In terms of speed, range and operational altitude, the SM-2ER Blk4A is similar to the SM-6, while the SM-3, in addition to the Mk136, has a kinetic interceptor, which is completely different from the SM-2 concept.
there isnt that much supply of SM6s, whilst yest aim174b does pretty much outrange everything its not a large overmatch, its a stopgap missile to provide the niche extreme long range capability to strike awacs tankers etch, which regardless what the propaganda would like you to belive is also what missiles like r37m are designed to do, you dont want to use these missiles on fighters ideally.
eh thats a stretch, with europe its barely a gap, and with china its more a matter of size constraints than it is a tech gap, pl15, pl17 etch arent more advanced than things like aim120d3(dual pulse is not new tech its a new adaptation of existing tech) they are however larger missiles designed for larger aircraft, j20 and j35 are both significantly larger aircraft, ESPECIALLY when compared to f35(f22 is also smaller mind you) they have significantly larger IWB which allow for development of larger missiles, pl15 is both wider and longer than aim120, and pl12 never really matched the aim120 and was retired in favour of pl15(absolutely the play).
not to discount chinese capability in any way of course, they do have the longer reach but i calling that a technological gap is mostly wrong, and america values logistic over all else, so they wouldnt develop a missile only able to be carried by 4.5 gen aircraft.
forgot to menton that pl17(20) is even larger than pl15, pl-21 afaik should be similar in size to pl15 when its developed, i also forgot to mention the AESA seekers on the chinese missiles, that is a technological gap, albeit aesa seekers are somewhat overstated in significance online
Not being able to hit your adversary because they outrange you and every missile you have can only be described as a technology/capability gap.
US current missile A2A roster is one of the weakest.
Europe has Meteor a superior BVRAM to Aim120D variant included.
ASRAAM, IRIS-T and MICA IR are superior to current Aim9X
Now the US is correcting this shortcoming as they realise their rivals can hit them and the vital command and control/logistics assets that the USAF depends on. In a war destroying a Tanker/EAWACS will have far more lasting effects than shooting down a Gen 5 airframe.
Chinas PL-15 is designed to kill those aircraft. Alternatively the USN has to try and sneak an F-35 into range of Chinas EWACS aircraft for a 120 shot (completely plausible the F-35 is a fantastic aircraft)
we dont know the complete picture with aim120d3, and jatm is already flying unofficially.
aim9x is worse thant iris-t and asraam, absolutely not worse than mica ir, mica ir is more expensive and less advanced. and fox 2s are not really part of the air war equation much, theyre the absolute last line of defense and the aim9x does it job more than well enough.
edit: forgot to mention, i dont have a problem with calling it a capability gap(its what it is) but it isnt technological, the obvious example of that is the AARGM.
idk about slipped up we’ve had reputable sources saying there are 100ds of millions worth of ordered missiles already, there are more and more pictures of it every year, i think its like the aim174b was, the missiles is likely already flying in an unofficial manner. there is somethign to remember that aim260 is not like aim120 was, this time its a special access program, that warrants a much larger degree of descretion, so the fact we are seeing more of it now compared to the dead silence it used to be says alot.
they deleted the post. there was other stuff showing it was in testing at the time but at that point i dont think the public was certain live fire testing was ongoing for the Navy at least
Its a standard missile, it’s production rate can be scaled as hard as any similar missile of it’s family, hence why the yearly production rate jumped from 500 to 1800 as of late.
To that same end, it’s not at all a niche capacity given the SM-6 has the ability to hit anything from a super maneuverable fighter to that same fighter at absolute maximum range, this is not some purpose built “only long range missile” its a SM series naval launched SAM, it can be used against ships, it can be used against ballistic missiles, it can outright hit ground targets.
The AIM-174 is a anti everything missile because thats what the SM-6 is, it’s only limiting factor is the amount being made and Raytheon is more than happy to amp that up and they can do so.