Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons  

Navy Super Hornet spotted carrying AIM-174B and AIM-260A together for first time

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A U.S. Navy F/A-18F assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 was photographed carrying the AIM-174B and AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile during a flight over Ridgecrest, California. The sighting marks the first documented instance of the two long-range weapons on the same aircraft.

Discovered 2026-10-21T02:10:40.108282-07:00 | 2026-10-21T02:10:40.108282-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The sighting documents the AIM-174B and AIM-260A carried together on a Navy F/A-18F, a first for the two weapons.
  • The aircraft was assigned to VX-31 and observed over Ridgecrest, California; the reports do not disclose the missiles’ operational status or intended use.

Reported By

The War Zone Naval News
Sources Tracked
2
First Seen
2026-10-21T02:10:40.108282-07:00
Latest Update
2026-10-21T11:55:23.621397-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

Hype groups these reports into one evolving story so you can compare coverage without losing the thread.

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