A series of photos have emerged showing a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet with a remarkable and hitherto unseen air-to-air load-out, including four of the very long-range AIM-174B air-to-air missiles.
The fighter is also loaded with three medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and a pair of short-range AIM-9X Sidewinders, along with an infrared search and track system (IRST) and an ATFLIR targeting pod. Taken together, the air-to-air capability shown in this photo is unlike anything that has come before.
The original source of the photos is point_mugu_skies on Instagram, who was kind enough to share the images with us.
The identity of the aircraft is clear — it is the distinctive gloss-black, retro-scheme F/A-18F of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9) “Vampires,” which is home stationed at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California.
