VX-9 ‘Vampires’ F/A-18F Super Hornet Brandishes Heavy Air-to-Air Loadout During Gray Flag 2024
The heavy loadout, featuring four AIM-174s, three AIM-120s and two AIM-9s, first spotted on “Vandy 1” at the beginning of September, was not a one-off test.
In September, we reported on a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet from VX-9 “Vampires” showcasing an unprecedented air-to-air loadout, featuring four CATM-174B, three CATM-120, and two CATM-9X missiles, along with a targeting pod and an IRST (Infrared Search and Track) mounted on an external fuel tank. What made the photos taken at Naval Air Station Point Mugu especially notable was that the heavy loadout was carried by “Vandy 1,” BuNo 166673—the flagship of the Vampires squadron. This aircraft sports a unique black livery celebrating the squadron’s 30th anniversary, inspired by the classic livery of VX-4 commander’s F-4s and F-14s, which previously bore the “Vandy 1” callsign.
Interestingly, this configuration wasn’t a one-time test. On September 24, 2024, “Vandy 1,” again equipped with the same extensive air-to-air loadout, joined a VX-9 F-35C and a 422nd TES F-15E in a photo session over the Point Mugu Sea Range, marking the conclusion of the Gray Flag 2024 exercise.
F/A-18F BuNo 166673 Vandy 1 hauling 4x AIM-174B, joined with a VX-9 F-35C and an F-15E from 422 TES, fly over the Point Mugu Sea Range during Gray Flag 2024 on Sept. 24, 2024.
U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughs pic.twitter.com/1amadGGvXB
— Fighterman_FFRC (@Fighterman_FFRC) November 5, 2024
From September 17-23, Gray Flag 2024 brought together U.S. and allied forces, alongside academic and industry collaborators, for a large-scale, joint testing event hosted by Naval Test Wing Pacific and VX-9 at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, California. This year’s event saw participation from over 3,000 personnel across the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force, executing more than 60 test initiatives. With roughly 600 aircraft sorties and more than 26 distinct systems tested on the ground, Gray Flag highlighted the vast scope of multi-domain capabilities under rigorous evaluation. Conducted on the expansive 36,000-square-mile Point Mugu Sea Range, operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), the event used Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) test elements to simulate advanced, multi-domain combat scenarios in a controlled, realistic environment.
“Gray Flag 2024 was an unparalleled opportunity to bring together diverse branches of the military, academic institutions, science and technology experts, and allied forces,” said Capt. David Halpern, Naval Test Wing Pacific commodore.
The range of participants enabled realistic evaluation of system interoperability, informing future requirements and tactics across domains. Importantly, allied involvement was integral to the event, reflecting the coalition-based approach crucial to real-world operations. Rear Adm. Keith Hash, commander of NAWCWD and Chief of Test at Naval Air Systems Command, emphasized that integrating and operating with allies remains a strategic priority:
“The U.S. Navy operates within a global warfighting ecosystem. To deter aggression and uphold freedom of the seas, we need to test alongside our partners, just as we operate with them.”
AIM-174B
As we’ve detailed in recent months, the AIM-174B missile is a variant of the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) repurposed for air-to-air engagements. Originally designed as the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM), the SM-6 serves as the U.S. Navy’s primary long-range anti-air and anti-missile defense solution, integrated with the Aegis Combat System on Navy vessels.
The SM-6 ERAM is a key asset in the Navy’s long-range air defense strategy. Derived from the RIM-156A SM-2ER Block IV airframe and equipped with an active radar seeker from the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the SM-6 is capable of reaching Mach 3.5 and has a range of 200 nautical miles in its ship-based form.
While traditionally ship-launched, the SM-6 has been tested in air-launched configurations as early as 2018 and again in 2021 on other VX-31 Super Hornets, but only this year has its deployment accelerated, with further involvement from operational units.
In April 2024, an F/A-18 was spotted carrying the AIM-174, then, on Jul. 2, 2024, an F/A-18E Super Hornet belonging to the VFA-192 “Golden Dragons” was photographed taxiing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, carrying two AIM-174B missiles marking the first appearance of the missile on a frontline platform during RIMPAC 2024. At the beginning of September, images of VX-9’s Super Hornet carrying four AIM-174s mounted on both inner and middle hardpoints, along with AIM-120s set a new benchmark for its air-to-air load capacity. Additionally, the ASG-34A IRST integrated on the fuel tank complemented the Super Hornet’s radar, providing advanced tracking capability in electronic warfare or radar-denied settings.
While details on the air-launched AIM-174B’s maximum range remain unclear, it is likely to exceed the surface-launched version when launched at altitude and speed, positioning it among the longest-range air-to-air weapons in the U.S. inventory and filling the void left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix.
Officially acknowledged in July as operationally deployed with CVW-2 aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the AIM-174B’s availability in IOC (Initial Operating Capability) extends the U.S. Navy’s reach in long-range engagement. Although publicly seen with only inert and training versions, live missiles are likely already available in the fleet.
As we explained in a previous post:
With the induction of the AIM-174B into service, the U.S. Navy joins a number of air arms capable of deploying an extra-long-range beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), like the MBDA Meteor, the Russian R-37M and Chinese PL-15 and PL-21. In fact, the AIM-174B enables the U.S. Navy Super Hornets to engage targets at much greater distances than is currently possible with the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Integrated with the E-2D, F-35, and AEGIS within the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) system, the AIM-174B would extend the Navy’s capability to intercept aerial targets at ranges comparable to (if not greater than) those achieved against naval targets using the baseline SM-6.
In essence, this new missile fills the gap left by the retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix. The AIM-54 was a long-range air-to-air missile used by the U.S. Navy’s F-14 Tomcat and retired in 2004 alongside the F-14. Known for its impressive range of over 100 nautical miles and multiple-target engagement capability, the AIM-54 left a significant void in long-range engagement capabilities.
While there wasn’t a direct replacement for the AIM-54 Phoenix in terms of range, the U.S. military has been developing advanced air-to-air missiles to enhance its fighter aircraft capabilities. The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is one such development intended to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Although not a direct replacement for the AIM-54 Phoenix, the AIM-260 aims to offer improved range and performance compared to the AIM-120.