jasonfreeland
New Member
De lurking here for a question. I have been running this thought around my head for quite some time and this seemed to be the place to ask about it. What is the feasibility of using the RIM-174 (SM-6) as an air to air weapon, minus its Mk 72 booster? From research, I found the missile itself weighs about 1400 pounds (minus the booster). This is well within limits of the aircraft pylons that could be expected to carry it (like F35/F18).
Further research has told me that the Mk 72 burns for six seconds. I can't find any data as to altitude or speed at burnout and frankly don't expect to. This leads to the big question of can the missile maintain its long range by launching at 30 to 40,000 feet and 500 knots as to a surface launch by booster?
The last main relevance is guidance. They have already demonstrated NIF-CA guidance on the missile, so it should be useable as is post launch. If a set of hard points can be added like the Standard ARM (AGM-78), I think it would work. It's even similarly sized to the ARM.
The need for this missile is to target C4ISR and tanker assets, should stealth not work as well as the US hopes it does. I don't see an enormous production run on these as they are pretty specialty munitions, but the need is there. Also I can't post links to back up my numbers, due to post count, but they should be easily verifiable.
Let me know what you think of the proposal, it's not something I read somewhere, just brain storming. Thanks.
Further research has told me that the Mk 72 burns for six seconds. I can't find any data as to altitude or speed at burnout and frankly don't expect to. This leads to the big question of can the missile maintain its long range by launching at 30 to 40,000 feet and 500 knots as to a surface launch by booster?
The last main relevance is guidance. They have already demonstrated NIF-CA guidance on the missile, so it should be useable as is post launch. If a set of hard points can be added like the Standard ARM (AGM-78), I think it would work. It's even similarly sized to the ARM.
The need for this missile is to target C4ISR and tanker assets, should stealth not work as well as the US hopes it does. I don't see an enormous production run on these as they are pretty specialty munitions, but the need is there. Also I can't post links to back up my numbers, due to post count, but they should be easily verifiable.
Let me know what you think of the proposal, it's not something I read somewhere, just brain storming. Thanks.