US “three-in-one” SM-6 missile, a weapon that has infuriated China to the core, spotted on F/18 Super Hornet

US SM-6 missiles are making headlines again after photographs emerged of a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet carrying what looks like an air-launched variant of the SM-6, or the RIM-174 missile.

The munition photographed would be an inert surface-to-air missile Standard Missile 6 (SM-6). The photos, seen by several media portals, attracted the special attention of observers because an SM-6 missile on a Super Hornet is an unusual event.

The last time a Super Hornet was seen with an SM-6 missile was in 2021, when a civilian photographer took a photo, which Aerospace DAILY later obtained. The photo depicted a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet with an SM-6 under its left pylon, but the service never officially recognized it.

As the recent photo began to attract attention, several experts noted that it was plausible that the Super Hornet could serve as a launching pad for an SM-6 to test some of its new capabilities against a hostile target. There has been no official word from the US Navy regarding this development. For now, all claims are mere conjecture and speculation.

Over the years, there have been several discussions about the possibility of combining Super Hornets with SM-6 missiles to enhance the capabilities of the US Navy. For example, some 2018 suggestions included converting the SM-6 Dual I SAM into a long-range air-to-air missile and integrating it into the Super Hornet.

Integrating the missile into combat aircraft would enhance the US Navy's combat capability, because when these missiles are fired at high altitude and rapid speed, they could not only destroy enemy aircraft hundreds of kilometers away, but also destroy ships and even oncoming ballistic missiles at some point. similar distance. This is believed to be a promising capability in a conflict with adversaries like China.

Currently, despite being equipped with some of the most advanced munitions in the US arsenal, the Super Hornets, capable of taking off from US aircraft carriers, do not have anything like the SM-6, capable of striking targets on land, at sea and over long distances at near hypersonic speeds.

The SM-6 was initially intended to be a surface-launched weapon capable of attacking long-range aerial threats, late-flight ballistic missiles, and in some situations even hypersonic weapons. However, it has since been modified and adapted by all services.

The SM-6 is used by US Navy ships for air defense. Introduced in the Aegis combat system, the weapon's primary purpose was long-range anti-aircraft combat. However, the missile can also be a quasi-ballistic missile intended to attack warships and other high-priority ground targets, such as air defense installations. It was also adopted by the United States Army for use in land attack roles as a ground-launched weapon.

Raytheon describes the missile: “The SM-6 missile is three missiles in one. It is the only weapon capable of carrying out anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and ballistic missile defense or terminal missions at sea.” Analysts believe that the SM-6 missile has become a multi-purpose powerhouse. It's also a perfect example of how adding new technology to outdated weapons can produce amazing results.

The missile's nearly unrivaled capabilities – and its many upgraded variants – have ensured its presence in the spotlight. Over the past few weeks, several developments around the world, particularly in China's backyard, have involved the SM-6 missile in one form or another.

The SM-6 is in fashion and how!

The biggest news surrounding the SM-6 came earlier this year when the Pentagon officially acknowledged, for the first time, that the U.S. Navy had used the SM-6 missile against Yemen-based Houthi militants, who have been relentlessly launching missile and drone attacks on Western countries. ships.

At the time, an unnamed U.S. defense official said an SM-6 had been successfully fired at a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) in the Gulf of Aden. The missile was fired by the USS Carney (DDG-64), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Since then, the active use of this missile in the Red Sea has become public knowledge.

Another interesting development regarding the SM-6 occurred when the US military sent its “Typhoon” ground-based missile system to participate in the “Balikatan 2024” military exercises in the Philippines. This was the first overseas deployment of this cutting-edge system. This was important because the Typhon system could launch various missiles, including the new SM-6 interceptor missile.

The SM-6 installed on Typhoon is primarily used as a short-range ballistic missile against land and sea targets. The military considers it a “strategic” weapons system that would be used against more valuable targets such as command and control centers and air defense installations.

Not surprisingly, the Philippines deployment has rattled China, and its Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian warned at a press briefing on April 25 that the U.S. deployment of a intermediate missile system in the Asia-Pacific could prompt Beijing to respond with decisive measures.

“We resolutely oppose the US decision to deploy intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the Asia-Pacific region. Our position has been clear and consistent. US measures pose a major threat to the security and stability of regional actors and will inevitably result in a decisive response from China,” he warned.

In exercises, the United States also deployed the SM-6 variant of the Typhoon MRC in September 2023 to the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. Moscow then argued that the United States had long wanted to introduce the system and was only waiting for the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which prohibited the system from being put into service.

The precision and advanced capabilities of the SM-6 were demonstrated when it intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target during a test conducted at sea in late March this year. The recent test with the USS Preble (DDG 88) marked a significant milestone in the advancement of the SM-6 system.

The SM-6 Dual II (Block IA) configuration, using the Baseline 9.C2 version of the Aegis combat system and newly qualified software, proved that it could neutralize incoming threats even in the final moments of flight.

On March 28, 2024, the US Missile Defense Agency successfully conducted Operation Stellar Laelaps to intercept a medium-range ballistic target missile launched from the Kauai Missile Test Site (Hawaii Islands).

The interception was carried out by an SM-6 Dual II missile… pic.twitter.com/WhH9I3hoPT

– ChinaCanada (@ChinasCanada) March 31, 2024

Thanks to this successful interception, the SM-6 conducted seven flight tests against ballistic missile targets, four of which were with the Dual II (Block IA) configuration. The SM-6 enhances the offensive and defensive capabilities of surface ships and has proven effective in anti-air, anti-surface and maritime defense against terminal ballistic missiles.

Its capabilities have rattled U.S. adversaries and piqued the interest of U.S. allies like Japan. In 2022, the State Department approved a potential $450 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 32 Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Block I missiles and associated equipment.

Last year, the US State Department approved a possible foreign military sale of 38 units of Standard 6 Block I (SM-6) missiles to the South Korean government.

While next-generation U.S. missiles like the AIM-260 are still in development and hypersonic missiles are at least a few months away, the SM-6 has become the most popular weapon in the U.S. inventory.