U.S. Navy Seeking Anti-Radiation Missile Which Can Also Kill Airborne Radars

Why It Matters

A dual‑role, long‑range anti‑radiation missile would boost fleet survivability and streamline logistics, giving the Navy a decisive edge against sophisticated air‑defense networks.

Key Takeaways

• Navy seeks missile over 80 nm range, dual air/ground capability
• Compatible with Super Hornet, Growler, and F‑35C fighters
• Advanced seeker covers broad radar bands, includes ECCM
• Requires TRL 7+, indicating prototype already flight‑tested
• Single missile improves flexibility, reduces separate weapon loads

Pulse Analysis

The Navy’s SEAD/DEAD mission has become a linchpin in any high‑end conflict against peer competitors. Modern A2/AD architectures layer dense ground‑based radars, surface‑to‑air missiles and airborne early‑warning platforms, forcing strike aircraft to operate at the edge of survivable ranges. The legacy AGM‑88E and its extended‑range variant AGM‑88G, while proven, are limited to air‑to‑ground engagements and reach roughly 80 nautical miles. As adversaries field longer‑range air‑defense networks, the service needs a weapon that can strike those emitters from deeper standoff distances, preserving aircraft safety and mission tempo.

The Advanced Emission Suppression Missile (AESM) concept blends that standoff reach with a dual‑role capability. By integrating a broadband anti‑radiation seeker, GPS/INS navigation and hardened ECCM, the missile could lock onto both ground‑based radar sites and high‑value AEW&C aircraft. Compatibility with the F/A‑18E/F Super Hornet, EA‑18G Growler and F‑35C ensures fleet‑wide deployment without extensive airframe modifications. Industry observers note that the AIM‑174B, derived from the SM‑6, already demonstrates 200‑nm ship‑based range and could be adapted for fighter launch, providing a viable baseline for the Navy’s requirements.

Because NAVAIR has issued a Sources Sought notice rather than a formal RFP, the market is open to established missile manufacturers and emerging innovators alike. A TRL 7 threshold pushes vendors to present flight‑tested prototypes, accelerating the development timeline. Successful entry could reshape the SEAD procurement landscape, consolidating two weapon classes into a single system and lowering logistics footprints. Contractors that can deliver the required seeker performance and integration will likely secure follow‑on contracts for future unmanned platforms, reinforcing the United States’ ability to neutralize sophisticated air‑defense networks in contested theaters.

U.S. Navy Seeking Anti-Radiation Missile Which Can Also Kill Airborne Radars

The Aviationist · 20 February 2026

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has published a new Sources Sought notice for Advanced Emission Suppression Missile (AESM) – Enhanced Capabilities (Feb. 18 2026). While the U.S. Navy is already working on a new anti‑radiation missile that will soon enter service, the new weapon would have an additional feature: the capability to engage both air and ground targets.

It should be noted that this does not mean the service has already decided to acquire the new weapon. Rather, the service is looking to see what options are available before a potential acquisition.

What the Navy is looking for

NAVAIR says the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO U&W) is “conducting market research to identify potential sources capable of providing an advanced, anti‑radiation guided missile weapon system … with a longer range than existing in the Navy’s current inventory.” The goal is to improve the ability to suppress and neutralize enemy air defenses in contested environments with a “weapon system that provides similar or improved capabilities compared to its current weapons inventory, focusing on extended range, advanced targeting, counter‑countermeasures, and integration with existing and future platforms.”

The service listed a series of requirements for the new weapon, the first being the capability to engage targets “at significant standoff distances.” The Navy has not specified a threshold, but it is expected to exceed the range of the AGM‑88G AARGM‑ER, itself roughly double the range of the AGM‑88E (around 80 nm).

The Navy conducts the first captive‑carry flight test of an Advanced Anti‑Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM‑ER) missile on an F/A‑18 Super Hornet, 1 June 2020, at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River test range in Maryland. (U.S. Navy photo)

The weapon should have an “advanced anti‑radiation seeker with broad frequency coverage,” capable of targeting a wide range of modern radar systems. Targeting would be performed through a precision navigation and guidance system such as GPS/INS with anti‑jamming capabilities.

What would set this weapon apart from the current AGM‑88E and the newer AGM‑88G (about to join the fleet) is the desired “ability to engage air‑to‑air and air‑to‑ground targets.” This would be supported by robust Electronic Counter‑Countermeasures (ECCM) to defeat chaff, flares, jamming, and anti‑ARM techniques.

The weapon would need to be compatible with the F/A‑18E/F Super Hornet, the EA‑18G Growler, and the F‑35C Lightning II—the Navy’s current fighters. The service also requires a Technology Readiness Level 7 or higher, meaning a prototype should already have been demonstrated in a representative operational environment.

Long‑range radar killer

As the U.S. military prepares for a possible high‑end fight against a peer adversary, a key component of every air operation will be the Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD). Increasingly complex Anti‑Access/Area‑Denial (A2/AD) defense systems pose a concrete challenge to air power, requiring the ability to counter them from longer distances.

The F/A‑18F “Vandy 1” of VX‑9 loaded with four CATM‑174B, three CATM‑120 and two CATM‑9X. (Image credit: @point_mugu_skies)

The requirement is to hit targets deep behind enemy lines without putting the launch aircraft in danger, allowing it to stay out of the threat’s range. In an A2/AD scenario, ground‑based counter‑air defenses and radars are not the only threat; Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft also represent a high‑value target.

These assets would likely operate deep inside adversary‑controlled territory to maximize protection while maintaining radar reach. Removing them would be a strategic objective, severely hampering an adversary’s ability to detect incoming strike packages.

A weapon that has been considered for this role is the new AIM‑174B long‑range air‑to‑air missile derived from the Standard Missile 6. In its ship‑based form it reportedly has a range of 200 nm, which could be extended when launched from a fighter at high altitude, even without the Mk 72 booster used with the Mk 41 vertical launching system.

One might wonder why the Navy would look for a new weapon if it already has two that can do the same jobs. The answer is simple: flexibility.

A Chinese KJ‑2000 AEW&C aircraft, a notional target for the new weapon. (Image credit: Danny Yu on Wikimedia Commons)

With the AGM‑88G being an air‑to‑ground‑only weapon and the AIM‑174B being an air‑to‑air‑only weapon, a new missile capable of hitting both air and ground targets would bring improved flexibility to the fleet. Consequently, a single weapon capable of both roles would allow a SEAD asset to also hunt AEW aircraft, reducing the need for separate air‑to‑air‑armed fighters.

This flexibility would also enable SEAD aircraft to engage AEW aircraft as targets of opportunity should one appear during a mission to strike ground‑based air defenses, allowing a quicker reaction without waiting for dedicated air‑to‑air fighters.