New generation missiles on a previous generation plane. Another photo of a US F/A-18 fighter jet assigned to the 31st Test Squadron, which was armed with two new air-launched air-launched missiles AIM-174B and AIM-260, has appeared online. The aircraft is also equipped with an IRST21 tank. The AIM-174B is based on the SM-6 anti-aircraft missile and is designed for longer ranges than the existing AIM-120. At the same time, the AIM-260 was created to replace the AMRAAM. The ranges of the two missiles are not disclosed. According to reports, the AIM-174B has already been used in some exercises, and the first examples have also been delivered to naval squadrons based in Japan.

New generation missiles on a previous generation plane. Another photo of a US F/A-18 fighter jet assigned to the 31st Test Squadron, which was armed with two new air-launched air-launched missiles AIM-174B and AIM-260, has appeared online. The aircraft is also equipped with an IRST21 tank. The AIM-174B is based on the SM-6 anti-aircraft missile and is designed for longer ranges than the existing AIM-120. At the same time, the AIM-260 was created to replace the AMRAAM. The ranges of the two missiles are not disclosed. According to reports, the AIM-174B has already been used in some exercises, and the first examples have also been delivered to naval squadrons based in Japan.