On July 2, 2024, two AIM-174B missiles — the air-launched version of the SM-6 missile — carried by a F/A-18E Super Hornet from the VFA-192 “Golden Dragons” on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier (CVN-70) were photographed as the aircraft taxied at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The prefix letter N indicated that these missiles were modified for special tests.The aircraft is taking part in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) drills.RIMPAC is the largest international maritime exercise hosted by the United States and is keenly watched by its adversaries, including China and Russia. US Navy has provided a confirmation regarding this to several news portals with a statement that read “The SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today.”This is a major development since this means that the missile is combat-ready.In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why the SM-6-based AIM-174B armed Super Hornet on USS Carl Vinson is horrifying for China ?#defenseupdates # AIM174B #usvschina