How will the US use its new 200+ mile air to air missile?

Summary

The US Navy has introduced the AIM-174, its longest-range air-to-air missile, based on the SM-6. Weighing 1,900 lbs and potentially capable of reaching 280 miles, it surpasses the Phoenix and AMRAAM in range. The missile's size and network-guided capabilities make it a game-changer for engaging high-value targets like AWACS planes from a safer distance, without entering enemy airspace.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The US Navy has recently put its newest air-to-air missile, the AIM-174, into service, which is based on the SM-6 missile and is designed for long-range engagements.
• 🔍 The AIM-174 has been spotted under Super Hornet fighter jets, indicating its air-launched variant is under development and has an air-to-air role.
• 📐 The missile is exceptionally large and heavy for an air-to-air weapon, weighing 1,900 lb without the booster, which adds another 1,500 lb.
• 💥 The removal of the booster from the SM-6 for the AIM-174 is strategic, as the fighter jet itself acts as a booster, providing speed and altitude for the missile.
• 🎯 The AIM-174 is expected to have an unprecedented range, potentially doubling or more that of the retired Phoenix missile and exceeding 200 miles.
• ⚔ The missile's extended range is a significant advantage for the US, allowing engagement with targets from a safer distance and enhancing strategic capabilities.
• 🌐 The AIM-174's range and capabilities could potentially neutralize certain high-value targets such as AWACS planes, drones, and other large aircraft from a considerable distance.
• 🔄 The missile's development is rapid due to its basis on the existing SM-6, which has expedited the testing and deployment process.
• 🔮 While the exact range of the AIM-174 is not publicly confirmed, it is speculated to be between 210 to 280 miles, based on comparisons with the SM-6 missile.
• 🛡 The missile's potential uses include not only air-to-air engagements but also anti-ship and possibly land target engagements due to its versatile seeker technology.
• 🚨 The AIM-174's entry into service highlights the ongoing development and advancement in missile technology, emphasizing the importance of long-range capabilities in modern warfare.

Q & A

What is the significance of the US Navy's newest air-to-air missile being based on the SM-6?

The new missile, potentially the AIM-174, is significant because it is the biggest and longest-ranged US air-to-air missile ever, leveraging the SM-6's proven capabilities and adaptability for a new air-launched role.

How does the size and weight of the new missile compare to previous models?

The new missile weighs 1,900 lb, making it over five times heavier than the AMRAAM and nearly double the weight of the F-14's Phoenix air-to-air missile. It's close in weight to large air-to-ground weapons, indicating its substantial size and power.

Why might the new missile not include the booster used in the SM-6?

Including the booster would increase the missile's weight significantly, potentially weighing down the aircraft and requiring a redesign to withstand the horizontal carriage and additional stresses during maneuvers.

What role does the fighter jet play in the missile's launch?

The fighter jet acts as a booster for the missile, getting it to a high altitude and high subsonic speed, similar to the role of the booster in the SM-6, but more efficiently due to the jet's capabilities.

What is the estimated range of the new missile compared to the retired Phoenix missile?

While specific range figures are not given, the new missile is expected to have a significantly greater range than the Phoenix, which had a recorded test shot of 125 miles. The new missile could potentially have a range of 210 to 280 miles, depending on various factors.

How does the new missile's range compare to other long-range missiles globally?

The new missile's potential range far exceeds that of the Russian R-37 and the Chinese PL-17, which are estimated to reach up to 190 miles and over 250 miles, respectively. It also surpasses the European Meteor and the US's own AIM-260, which are expected to top out at around 125 miles.

What advantages does the missile's high altitude launch provide?

A high altitude launch provides the missile with a significant advantage in terms of range due to the increased potential for gliding and the ability to utilize the Earth's curvature to maintain a longer line-of-sight to the target.

How might the missile's networked guidance system impact its effectiveness?

The networked guidance system allows the missile to be guided by third-party targeting, which can enhance its effectiveness by allowing other aircraft to designate targets, especially when the launching aircraft does not have a direct line-of-sight to the target.

What are some potential targets for the new missile in a combat scenario?

Potential targets include AWACS-like planes, strategic reconnaissance aircraft, high-altitude drones, electronic emission gathering planes, dedicated anti-submarine planes, and even large bombers or cruise missiles.

How does the missile's development timeline compare to typical missile development?

The development of the new missile has been relatively quick, with the SM-6's existing framework allowing for rapid adaptation to an air-launched variant. Traditional missile development can take a decade or more.

What are some of the challenges associated with the missile's size and weight for aircraft?

The missile's large size and weight present challenges for internal carriage on stealth aircraft like the F-22 and F-35. It may also limit the number of missiles that can be carried by non-stealth aircraft, affecting their overall combat loadout.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to the US Navy's New Air-to-Air Missile

The US Navy has recently put its newest air-to-air missile, the AIM-174, into service, marking it as the longest-ranged missile of its kind in the US arsenal. Based on the SM-6 missile, the AIM-174 is designed for launch from Super Hornet fighter jets and is speculated to have an air-to-air role. The missile is notably large and heavy, weighing 1,900 lb without the booster, which adds another 1,500 lb. The video aims to explore the missile's potential, comparing it with the retired Phoenix missile and China's PL-15, and discusses how the AIM-174 could change the dynamics of air combat, particularly in terms of range and payload capabilities.

05:00

📏 Analysis of the AIM-174's Range and Comparison with Other Missiles

The AIM-174 is predicted to have an unprecedented range, potentially doubling that of the previous long-range missiles like the Phoenix and AMRAAM. Drawing from the performance of the SM-6 missile, which has been tested to hit targets over 250 nautical miles away, the AIM-174 could have a similar range against aircraft, possibly extending to 210-280 nautical miles. The video discusses the implications of this range advantage, comparing it with other long-range missiles such as Russia's R-37 and China's PL-17, and how the AIM-174's range could provide the US with a significant tactical edge in air combat scenarios.

10:04

🛡️ Strategic Implications and Tactical Usage of the AIM-174

The introduction of the AIM-174 missile has significant strategic implications for the US military. It could allow US aircraft to engage high-value targets such as AWACS planes from a safer distance, reducing the risk of entering enemy airspace or coming within range of enemy defenses. The missile's long range could also enable hit-and-run tactics, where US planes could launch the AIM-174 and retreat before enemy forces can react. Furthermore, the missile's networked guidance capabilities could allow it to be directed by other aircraft, enhancing its effectiveness in complex battle scenarios.

15:05

🔍 Exploring the AIM-174's Versatility and Future Potential

The AIM-174, while sharing much of its design with the SM-6, has unique characteristics that make it versatile for various roles. It could potentially be used against a wide array of targets, including strategic reconnaissance aircraft, drones, and even ships. The missile's radar seeker is capable of engaging high-contrast targets at sea, and its networked guidance allows for third-party targeting, increasing its effectiveness. The video also speculates on the future development of the AIM-174, suggesting that it might receive modifications similar to those of the SM-3, enhancing its capabilities further.

20:06

🎵 Conclusion and Additional Insights on Missile Performance

The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of the AIM-174's range and how it could redefine air combat tactics. It also touches on the missile's potential use against low-flying anti-ship missiles and its ability to be networked for guided attacks. The video provides additional insights into the missile's performance, including the impact of launch altitude and speed on its range, and suggests that the AIM-174 is already in operational service, albeit with some variations in labeling indicating different stages of testing and training.

Keywords

💡Air-to-Air Missile

An air-to-air missile is a guided weapon designed to be launched from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying other aircraft. In the video, the US Navy's newest air-to-air missile, based on the SM-6, is discussed as the biggest and longest-ranged missile of its kind in the US arsenal, emphasizing its significance in enhancing air combat capabilities.

💡SM-6

The SM-6 is a missile used by the US Navy, known for its versatility in surface-to-air and anti-ship roles. It serves as the basis for the new air-to-air missile discussed in the video, highlighting its adaptability and the technological advancements that allow it to be repurposed for different combat scenarios.

💡Super Hornet

The Super Hornet is a fighter jet used by the US Navy, mentioned in the script as the platform on which the new missile has been spotted. This indicates the practical application and integration of the missile into existing military aircraft, showcasing its operational deployment.

💡AIM-54 Phoenix

The AIM-54 Phoenix is a retired long-range air-to-air missile previously used by the US. The video script references its historical significance and compares it with the new missile, emphasizing the advancements in range and capabilities of the latest missile technology.

💡AMRAAM

The AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) is a medium-range missile that has been in service with the US military. It is mentioned in the script to contrast with the long-range capabilities of the new missile, illustrating the evolution of missile technology and its strategic implications.

💡Mach Number

Mach number is a measure of speed, representing the ratio of an object's velocity to the speed of sound. The script discusses the potential launch speeds of the new missile and how they could affect its range and performance, demonstrating the importance of speed in missile dynamics.

💡Interceptor Missile

An interceptor missile is designed to destroy incoming missiles or aircraft. The script mentions the role of the new missile in intercepting targets, such as hypersonic gliders, highlighting its defensive capabilities and strategic value.

💡Hypersonic Glider

A hypersonic glider is a type of missile that can travel at speeds greater than Mach 5. The video script notes the Navy officials' claim that the new missile is the best for intercepting such gliders, indicating its advanced capabilities against high-speed threats.

💡Networked Guidance

Networked guidance refers to the ability of a missile to receive targeting information from sources other than the launching platform. The script explains how the new missile could be networked-guided, enhancing its targeting flexibility and effectiveness in combat scenarios.

💡Anti-Ship Missile

An anti-ship missile is designed to target and destroy enemy ships. The script suggests that the new missile, due to its radar seeker technology, could potentially engage ships, expanding its range of capabilities beyond air-to-air engagements.

💡Radar Seeker

A radar seeker is a guidance system in a missile that uses radar to track and home in on a target. The video script mentions that the new missile uses a radar seeker derived from the SM-6, indicating its ability to accurately target and engage enemy aircraft or ships.

Highlights

The US Navy has put its newest air-to-air missile, the A174, in service, which is the biggest and longest-ranged US air-to-air missile ever.

The A174 is based on the SM6, the US Navy's premier surface-to-air missile.

Images have confirmed the missile's air-to-air role, with its designation AIM indicating it is an air-to-air missile.

The missile is possibly the biggest air-to-air missile in history, weighing 1,900 lb, over five times heavier than the AMRAAM.

The A174 missile is launched without the booster, unlike the SM6, and uses a special harness to interface with the aircraft.

The role of the booster on SM6 is to get the missile to speed and altitude before the main body rocket motor takes over.

The A174 missile's range is speculated to be significantly greater than the Phoenix missile and AMRAAM, potentially reaching 210 to 280 miles.

The A174's long range could allow US aircraft to engage targets from a safer distance, reducing the risk of interception.

The missile's high altitude launch could provide a significant advantage in terms of range, possibly adding tens of percent to its reach.

The A174 could be used against a variety of targets, including strategic reconnaissance, high-altitude drones, electronic emission gathering planes, and anti-submarine planes.

The missile's potential anti-ship capabilities could extend its utility in naval engagements.

The A174 is likely to be networked-guided by third-party targeting, allowing for more strategic use in combat scenarios.

The missile's development was rapid, leveraging existing SM6 technology, which could suggest future variants might have even greater capabilities.

The A174's operational service has been confirmed by a US Navy spokesperson, indicating its readiness for deployment.

The missile's potential use in intercepting hypersonic gliders could be a significant advantage in modern warfare.

The A174's versatility and multi-role capabilities make it a valuable asset for the US Navy, despite its limited production volume and inventory.

Transcripts

mere weeks ago the US Navy put its

newest air-to-air missile in service

it's the biggest and longest ranged US

air2air missile ever and it's based on

the sm6 the US Navy's Premier Sam

missile for a few years now the new

missile has occasionally been spotted

under Super Hornet fighter jets pointing

to an air launched variant being in

development finally in early July a

flurry of images came removing doubt the

missile scen on super Hornets indeed has

an air-to-air role its designation a 174

aim means the missile is an air-to-air

one this video will cover the potential

of the new missile it will compare it

with the now retired Phoenix missile

amam and China's big air-to-air missile

but even more importantly the video will

explore how the missile might be used

and why it is such a big deal for the US

near future Firepower

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as visible from the images the missile

is really just a regular sm6 without the

booster a special harness to serve as an

interface between the missile and the

aircraft pylon seems to have been added

though we're still talking about a huge

weapon possibly the biggest air-to-air

missile in history it weighs 1,900 lb

it's over five times heavier than amam

it's almost doubl the weight of the f14s

Phoenix air to a missile

actually it's close in weight to big air

to ground weapons now the booster weighs

another 1,500 lb some might ask why not

keep the booster it would make the

missile even longer ranged there are of

course issues with set approach such a

package would weigh as much as a

tomahawk cruise missile with its own

booster it would weigh down the whole

plane but crucially it would require

missile redesign The Joint between the

booster and the missile simply isn't

designed to withstand horizontal

Carriage let alone some additional

stresses during Maneuvers the role of

the booster on sm6 is to get the missile

to some speed and altitude before the

main body rocket motor takes over

essentially that's exactly what the

fighter jet is there for it acts as the

booster for the missile as it gets it to

a high altitude and a high subsonic

speed it's also possible launches might

be done at near ma 1.5 though that's

conjecture that might require fuel tanks

to be dropped maybe a single tank could

be retained with a pair of 174s at Ma

1.2 or so truth of the matter is

missile's mk72 booster however large

fails in comparison to a fighter jet as

a booster observing sm6 missile launch

videos one can see that the booster

motor dies out after six or so seconds

using known weight and alleged thrust

values as well as known sm3 flight

envelope graph as sm3 is of similar

weight and uses the same booster one can

deduce that the main body of the sm6

after it drops the booster is around

7,000 ft in altitude and that it might

be doing around ma 2 speed wise at sad

moment so sure the missile is roughly

two times faster when using a booster

but it's also over four times lower at

the moment the booster detaches an

altitude is much more important than

speed when it comes to missile Glide

range if you're curious is why that is

stick to the end of the video for the

more technical stuff anyway why is a174

important to the US primarily it's

outranges every other air-to-air missile

the US has or had it's possibly the

longest reaching air-to-air missile

anyone ever made back in 1973 the a54

Phoenix performed the then longest

recorded test shot it was fired against

a supersonic fireb drone from 125 mil

away keep in mind the actual distance

traveled for the missile before impact

was little over 80 Mi the US retired the

Phoenix missile and relied on am Rams

which started off as a medium-range

missile but by the D model got some

serious range so much so that a few

years ago the D model bettered that 1973

Phoenix range result likely by a tiny

margin ammd thanks to its two-way data

link and GPS can rely on even more

optimized trajectory to reach incoming

targets that were 125 M away at the

moment of launch so how does a174

compared to that the rim 174 missile

meaning sm6 was tested and launched with

its booster doing a ballistic trajectory

to cover 250 statute miles and hit a

static sea level Target that's some 400

km away that figure is of course not

directly comparable a it is distance to

Target at the moment of impact meaning

missile travel distance comparable to 80

mil traveled for Phoenix and amam tests

furthermore the test Target for the

Phoenix was going at M 1.5 at 50,000 ft

up the sm6 test Target was static at sea

level that altitude difference likely

accounts for dozens of Miles alone Sam

ranges always take into account the

possibility the target will change

course which will mean the interceptor

missile has to spend energy to change

course as well which lowers range so

what sort of a range could sm6 do

against jet aircraft that figure isn't

freely given but there are some

indications out there for a brief time

20 years ago there existed an sm2 block

4 missile which used the same airframe

same booster and same Rocket Motors it

was basically a precursor to the sm6

only with different avionics and

guidance block 4's range was claimed to

be some 150 Mi as that that missile had

no land Attack Mode that surely

pertained to range against aircraft of

course its possible actual range was

different from the stated range but the

late model sm2 without the booster yet

using the same airframe and rocket motor

are credited with a range of some 105

miles so that mk72 booster which gets

the missile to ma 2 or so and which gets

it to some 7,000 ft up is supposed to

add over 40 Mi of additional reach which

sort of checks out again it's plausible

that the addition of GPS to the sm6 and

a different trajectory added some

additional range so even against

aircraft the sm6 might go farther

perhaps even approaching 200 mil now the

a174 is a bit different from the sm6 it

is launched at lower velocity than the

booster would launch it but at over four

times the altitude that altitude

Advantage should yield tens of percent

of added range perhaps even add 50% more

range while the velocity disadvantage

might at the same time lower it by only

10 or so per. so while there are no

range figures out there it's plausible

that if against aircraft sm6 had 150 to

200 M reach the a174 when fired from a

high flying plane should have a 210 to

280 mile reach give or take that's

effectively double the range or more

compared to either Phoenix or amra

missile so it's a huge change to the

lethal reach of us missiles let's

compare it with some other long range

missiles the r37 missile is the longest

reaching Russian missile its export

variant is advertised with 125 mile

reach there are claims the domestic

variant can extend that to 190 Mi but

who knows there was one more Russian

missile that started development in the

1990s the ks 172 and it may have even

come close to a174 weight and on range

on paper but it never got out of

development limbo and it is not in use

the Chinese so-called PL 17 missile is

in use since the last year or so its

range wasn't disclosed but due to its

size and likely ballistic trajectory it

could plausibly reach over 250 Mi that's

only conjecture but Royal United

Services Institute in one of its pieces

on Chinese missiles did also mention 400

km as the missiles possible range amram

and meteor missiles should top out at

125 Mi give or take though they fly

different trajectories and aren't

optimized for the same kind of targets

at 125 M away there is the US a260

missile in development unlike the a174

it's so secret that nothing is known

about it except that it will likely

retain the weight and dimensions of the

amam for commonality reasons it's

definitely going to outrange the amam

and will likely improve its outer reach

performance but whether that's 150 or

190 M missile that's unknown at this

point a more detailed comparison is hard

to do as detailed information simply

isn't freely available but there are

some bits of information out there for

example the sm6 uses an mam derived

radar Seeker that would suggest the same

Seeker technology as MMD sm6 was devided

in the 2000s and entered service a

decade ago sort of like MMD but given

that the 174 is wider the radar Seeker

has also been enlarged offering better

performance the fact that 174 is largely

the same as the sm6 made it possible to

adapt it onto aircraft and test it in

mere years development of advanced

missiles can otherwise take a decade sm6

like missile was first observed in a

super hornet in 2021 before several more

images appeared in 2024 its plausible

development preceding flight test did

not start much earlier but sm6 rests on

some old requirements it's basically the

sm2 missile with more modern avionics it

retains the midbody straight

configuration as those provide lift to

the missile it's not configured to go

very high up in near ballistic

trajectories that's understandable as

the sm2 was made to cover all sorts of

threats from high five flying planes to

low flying anti-ship missiles the 174

design since it stems from the sm2 and

sm6 is not quite optimal for long range

engagements that doesn't take away from

its likely performance and range but it

does mean that if the missile of same

dimensions and weight was developed from

scratch it might feature even greater

speeds and yield an even longer range

that may be achieved with future

variants though just as the sm3 in its

later variant got a whole new missile

body the sm6 may get similar

modifications and then eventually the

air launched aim 174 will get them as

well but for now for the rest of the

decade we are unlikely to hear about

such

developments if range ends up being say

250 Mi the new missile will be very

useful to the US taking China as an

example right now if the US wants to

take out an aox like plane near China it

has two options both involve approaching

to plane to some 7 to20 Mi away to have

some chance of blowing it away amam

reaching 120 M away would take close to

10 minutes of flight time as the

majority of its crws would be an Ever

slowing Glide after the rocket motor

burnt out after the first 8 seconds or

so if the target is somehow alert and

non-cooperative and an awx plane with

very sensitive radio signal emitter

locators might be then such a Target

might move by another 50 or so miles in

the meantime hence the need to actually

get closer perhaps even as close to 70

miles to launch the missile that's the

worst case scenario of course but it's

possible so option one would have a

stealthy jet make that shot even at 70

Mi away such shots might still hide the

attacking jet from an aox but the issue

is there might be a few more such aox

planes around looking from various

angles as China has many in service and

there there are likely to be several

Chinese Fighters around most sporting

some large and potent Aisa radar arrays

some of those might be stealthy j2s

anyway it would be a layered environment

and knowing that awox planes are going

to be at least 100 Mil behind the

Frontline fighter cover it's very

unlikely even stealthy us jets would get

to regularly make that shot without a

fight if one adds various shipborne

Radars and groundbased Radars which use

larger arrays working in free quencies

that deal even better with stealthy Jets

it's almost impossible for the US to

make such a shot with today's amam

without getting into a fight first and

that's for stealthy Jets non- stealthy

jets would literally have to fight

through outer layers of Chinese defenses

first before they would even get the

chance to threaten an awox like plane

but a missile reaching 250 mil changes

that sure it's so big that neither the

F22 nor F35 can carry it internally

right now actually it seems that only

the US Navy is testing the missile on

its super Hornets which while they have

the radar crosssection optimized are far

from stealthy but Air Force Fighters

could also be candidates for future use

of the missile if all goes well the F-15

especially as it might comfortably carry

four while retaining lots of fuel and a

decent speed at 250 M range if the

target is not alerted and cooperative

and 200 mile range if the target is

non-cooperative means those us planes

can still launch while being 100 or50 Mi

away from most Chinese fighter jets

doing escort and security sweep in a hit

and run kind of attack where the US

planes flee using afterburners after the

launch the remaining distance to Chinese

fighter jets is unlikely to result in a

successful Pursuit for China except

perhaps if China is using their pl17

missiles also long range to do such

Pursuits but said missiles are huge and

not likely to be carried in numbers

those missiles wouldn't be a regular

threat cared in large numbers for every

escort mission of course there are

dozens of other large planes that might

be worth attacking with A1 74s strategic

Recon high altitude drones electronic

emission Gathering planes dedicated

anti-submarine planes even Chinese H6

bombers might be targets as well being

attacked as they go or even as as they

return from their cruise missile or

anti-ship missile attack runs 174s might

even be used to intercept low flying

Cruiser anti- ship missiles from far

away in s roll its aerodynamic

configuration stemming from the sm6

would actually be a benefit not a

hindrance crucially sm6 was designed to

be networked Guided by third-party

targeting a174 would often be used in

such a way where other aircraft for

example a forward stealthy jet would

design targets so a Super Hornet

positioned at the rear could shoot the

missile at it otherwise the great range

of the missile could not be utilized to

the fullest furthermore 174 is still

lethal against agile fighter jets going

against Chinese Jets the 174 might be

launched first from afar to thin out and

break apart Chinese air formations and

to make the job of stealthy Jets going

into a medium- range fight a bit more

easier though such a wide scope of

targets might not be easy to cover as

the missile shares the production volume

with the sm6 missile whose production

volume and inventory is not very high as

it is the sm6 is really a multi-roll

missile that makes it versatile but it

also means it's spread out thin for

various users and uses in recent years

even the US Army got some as they use it

from truck launchers to pursue land and

ship targets when used from egis ships

it also has limited anti-ballistic

missile capabilities even against

medium-sized slower ballistic missiles

even more importantly according to Navy

officials themselves it's the best

missile the Navy has for intercepting

Hypersonic gliders to be fair the same

official said that capability is

marginal which means all other missiles

are even worse so similar other missions

could be very well within a174

capabilities just like its shipped

launch sibling the 174 might be able to

hit static land targets its Warhead is

decentish so against certain unarmored

targets it could still do damage but

perhaps more crucially against China the

174 might also be an anti- ship missile

like the sm6 its radar Seeker might see

high contrast targets such as ships at

Sea and could lock and engage moving

ships again a small Warhead might not

kill a ship but it may very well

neutralize important parts of it like

sensors and antennas also if such ground

targets are engaged then the reach would

be even longer if a ship launched sm6

can reach 250 Mi against such a Target

then a plane launched a174 should be

able to reach well over 300 mil and hit

a land or Naval Target the m174 just

reached operational service a US Navy

spokesperson claimed so in early July

the labels on the missiles observed so

far are varied there is the an aim label

that means the missile isn't an

instrumented test version holding

measurement equipment inside it

basically the missile may not quite have

finished its entire testing process but

the urgency is clearly such that it's

good enough to be put into service there

were images of datm label on some

missiles inside a hanger of an aircraft

carrier that label shows it's a ground

handling training version for the ground

Crews to get acquainted with the missile

the fact we're getting images of the

missiles taken by regular aircraft

carrier crew suggests the missile is

slowly proliferating into service thus a

true Phoenix missile successor has

arrived 50 years

later anyway before we go about those

altitude versus velocity figures there's

an amam simulation document out there

based on quite precise amam measurements

and based on known engine weight burn

time likely rocket motor fuel

composition and so on that document

gives out pretty detailed flight

trajector iies and it shows the

following at Ma 1.8 launch amam C5 will

reach 38 km when doing a lowlevel launch

from just 500 m in altitude at the same

speed a 5 km altitude launch Which is

higher than the sm6 booster separation

the missile will go 28% farther at 10 km

up it will go 85% farther mind you the

a174 launch would likely happen at an

even greater altitude probably at 12 km

or more same conditions were explored

with the launch plane going Mach 1.5 the

increases weren't noticeably bigger 15%

more for the 5 km altitude launch and

18% more for the 10 km altitude over

there ma 1.8 figures all that shows

launch altitude matters much more than

launch speed when it comes to Missile

Range

and remember bov may talk about war but

only real peace can bring us all

together

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