The AIM-174B has appeared once again in the Pacific, this time at a joint exercise in Alaska focused on novel tactics and rapidly proliferating weapons across the joint force aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the newest carrier known to carry the Navy’s secretive air-launched SM-6 variant.
The missile was flown off the carrier during a visit from several high profile officials, including the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of U.S. Alaskan Command and multiple U.S. Senators.
Abraham Lincoln is the third carrier known to be operating with AIM-174Bs, behind USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) which deployed with the missile in an inaugural role last summer for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), Naval News was first to report on the AIM-174B’s operational role in the U.S. Navy during the exercise, getting a close up look during an embark onboard Carl Vinson off the coast of Hawaii.
Later in 2024, Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 participated in Gray Flag 2024 with an even larger loadout than expected, carrying four AIM-174B missiles on the squadron’s lead clad black aircraft.
The missile was spotted again in May with a squadron attached to the forward-deployed USS George Washington (CVN 73) during a friendship day at MCAS Iwakuni, and again in August during Talisman Sabre 2025 during a photo-op with participating ships off the coast of Australia.
The Carl Vinson, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington all operate with elements of the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Air Wing, or Air Wing of the Future (AWOTF), flying F-35C 5th generation fighters, E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, Block III F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, and EA-18G Growlers with new AN/ALQ-248 jamming pods. The AIM-174B is part of that AWOTF concept that allows advanced air wings in the U.S. Navy to develop techniques, tactics, and procedures for new capabilities as they are fielded across the fleet.
