---
title: "How The Navy’s New Very Long-Range AIM-174 Missile Could Pierce China’s Anti-Access Bubble"
date: "2024-10-03"
modified: "2024-10-03"
authors:
  - name: "Tyler Rogoway"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway.md"
url: "https://www.twz.com/air/how-the-aim-174-could-pop-chinas-anti-access-bubble-in-the-pacific"
categories:
  - "Air"
  - "Air Forces"
  - "Around The Globe"
  - "China"
  - "F/A-18"
  - "F/A-18E/F"
  - "Fighters"
  - "Indo-Pacific"
  - "Navies"
  - "News & Features"
  - "People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)"
  - "Sea"
  - "U.S. Navy"
  - "Video"
---

# How The Navy’s New Very Long-Range AIM-174 Missile Could Pierce China’s Anti-Access Bubble

![Popping China's Anti-access bubble with the AIM-174](<https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Aim-174-First-Look-copy.jpg>)

The Navy has [officially acknowledged the existence of a weapon](<https://www.twz.com/air/disclosure-of-new-aim-174b-missile-brings-navys-future-air-to-air-strategy-into-focus.md>) we had posited it was developing for years, an air-launched version of the hugely versatile, far reaching, and hard hitting ship-launched SM-6.[ Designated the AIM-174](<https://www.twz.com/air/f-a-18-super-hornet-appears-with-unprecedented-heavy-air-to-air-missile-load.md>), this massive, F/A-18 Super Hornet-carried air-to-air weapon is by default longer-ranged than any other the U.S. has ever fielded. While it isn’t clear if the AIM-174 will also retain the SM-6’s secondary anti-ship and land attack capabilities, just what it could provide in the anti-air and possibly anti-ballistic missile roles could be truly revolutionary. Clearly built to take full advantage of the Pentagon’s emerging ‘kill webs,’ this is especially true when it comes to popping China’s vaunted anti-access bubble by going after its most prized force-multiplier assets. So, how exactly could this work and what does it bring to the table?

We break it all down for you in detail in the video posted at the top of this post.

*Contact the editor: Tyler@TWZ.com*

## Author
Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel>)