The AIM-174B Gunslinger is a derivative of the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile.
The term “gunslinger“ was initially used as a synonym for the gunfighters of the American Old West of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of these gunfighters were on the right side of the law, like Pat Garrett and Wyatt Earp, while others were definitely on the wrong side of the law, like Billy the Kid and John Wesley Hardin (who killed anywhere from 20 to 44 men—one of them just for snoring!). Gunslinger also became the title of a 1956 Western motion picture starring John Ireland and directed by the legendary Roger Corman.
So then, it figured that sooner or later, a modern military weapons system would also acquire the “gunslinger” moniker. This has indeed come to fruition, and the beneficiary is a high-tech air-to-air missile.
The AIM-174B Gunslinger is Christened
The news comes to us from the ever-savvy Stefano D’Urso of The Aviationist:
“Almost a year after it was introduced in service, the AIM-174B long-range missile has now been officially nicknamed ‘Gunslinger.’ The name was included among the new capabilities listed for the F/A-18 Super Hornet in the Naval Aviation Playbook 2025 by the Commander, Naval Air Forces Vice Admiral Daniel L. Cheever … The newest air-to-air weapon of the U.S. Navy has also been recently shown during the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force-Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Friendship Day in early May. Initially seen on Super Hornets assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 during RIMPAC 2024, the AIM-174 has now been delivered to CVW 5 which is based at MCAS Iwakuni.”
AIM-174B Gunslinger Initial History and Specifications
Manufactured by Raytheon, the AIM-174B is a derivative of the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM), aka the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), which debuted in 2013 and which in its original form is a surface-to-air missile (SAM), anti-ballistic missile, and anti-ship missile. The Navy confirmed the operational deployment of the AIM-174B in July 2024. Though the USN and Raytheon alike have been rather hush-hush about what modifications have been made to the AIM-174B compared to the SM-6, D’Urso does note the conspicuous absence of the L3 Harris Mk72 booster used by the shipborne SM-6 during the launch from the BAE Systems Mark 41 vertical launching system (Mk 41 VLS).
Known tech specs and vital stats of the Gunslinger include:
- Maximum Operational Range: At least 130 nautical miles
- Max Airspeed: Mach 3.5
- Warhead Weight: 140 lbs.
- Overall Weight: 1,900 lbs.
- Length: 15.5 ft
- Diameter: 13.5 in
- Wingspan: 61.8 in
Comparisons with Sparrow, Sidewinder, and Slammer: How Does the Gunslinger Stack Up?
Catchy monikers aside, how does the AIM-174B compare to the more battle-proven air-to-air missiles currently in service, such as the AIM-7 Sparrow semiactive radar-guided missile, AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared missile, and the active radar-guided AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (affectionately nicknamed the “Slammer”)? Let’s take a look:
- AIM-7 Sparrow: 88 lb. warhead, 38 nautical mile max range, Mach 4 max airspeed
- AIM-9 Sidewinder: 20.8 lb. warhead, 19 nautical mile max range, Mach 2.5 max airspeed
- AIM-120 AMRAAM: 44 lb. warhead, 86 nautical mile max range, Mach 4 max speed
In other words, the Gunslinger has a superior payload and range compared to those other three missiles, is faster than the Sidewinder, and is a mere Mach 0.5 slower than the Sparrow and Slammer.
The AIM-174B gives the U.S. Navy the added benefit of its first dedicated long-range air-to-air missile employed since the 2004 retirement of the AIM-54 Phoenix missile made famous by its use on the Super Hornet’s predecessor (and Top Gun: Maverick 2022 cinematic mechanical co-star), the F-14 Tomcat.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.
Image: Hunini, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
