#4th of july 2004

[early2000sfun]

4th of July Party, Summer 2004 and Joe's Crab Shack Peace Shirt

(note the disposable camera in my hands and my friends ACDC shirt)

I'm so glad I have pictures of me wearing this back in the day! I loved this shirt but somehow lost it over the years (I was 15 in the picture and now I'm 35). Then I found it on Mercari and immediately bought it and now I have it again! I have so many good memories attached to this shirt.

[morbid-rxse]

Happy fourth of july guys

[bogwatr]

Yaoi with tragic endings </3

@staraphernelia Beautifully executed

[digitalpetprincess]

Happy July 4th 🇺🇸

[mycherrycola]

girls will watch one (1) movie about the 1980s American Olympic team absolutely shredding ice with the Soviets and make it their whole personality. it's me I'm girls

[the-physicality]

20 years later, the mercury have not changed lmao

[forcedfemme-me]

Frankie Rayder - Celine Spring 2004

[agmagazinescans]

All Bottled Up

American Girl Magazine, July/August 2004

[Ko-Fi Donations]

[boxanimal]

May 24, 2024 is the 20th anniversary of Reborn!

Shonen Jump covers primarily featuring the series:

June 7, 2004, Issue No. 26 - New serialization

November 8, 2004, Issue No. 48 - 1st volume release

July 4, 2005, Issue No. 29 - 1st anniversary

March 20, 2006, Issue No. 14 - Beginning of the Varia arc

September 11, 2006, Issue No. 39 - TV anime announcement

October 23, 2006, Issue No. 45 - TV anime debut

November 20, 2006, Issue No. 49 - Beginning of Tsuna vs. Xanxus

July 9, 2007, Issue No. 30 - 3rd anniversary

September 10, 2007, Issue No. 39

November 19, 2007, Issue No. 49

February 18, 2008, Issue No. 10 - 18th volume release

July 14, 2008, Issue No. 31 - 4th anniversary

November 3, 2008, Issue No. 47 - 3rd anniversary of TV anime

June 22, 2009, Issue No. 28 - 5th anniversary

October 19, 2009, Issue No. 45 - Reborn Month event

November 2, 2009, Issue No. 47 - Reborn Month event

February 1, 2010, Issue No. 7 - 27th volume release & TV anime 7th season

April 12, 2010, Issue No. 17 - Beginning of the Inheritance arc & REBORN Colore! release

June 14, 2010, Issue No. 26 - 6th anniversary

September 12, 2011, Issue No. 38 - Beginning of the Curse of the Rainbow arc

[tateshifts]

SLYTHERIN BOYS + pansy ⋆｡˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ dr headcanons

this is going to be about my dr and how i know the boys and a little about their background.

✮ . . . quidditch; all the boys play quidditch except enzo (he’s protecting his face from flying balls).

mattheo is a beater, player 5. theo is the captain, he’s new from this year, he’s a chaser and he’s player 10. blaise is a chaser and he’s player 2. draco is a seeker and he’s player 15.

dracos been playing since second year, but blaise and theo have been playing since third whilst mattheo joined in 4th year. the other players are, adrian pucey (keeper), graham montage (chaser) and miles bletchley (beater).

✮ . . . were all 18 turning 19 this year. my dr is still hogwarts as a school, its just with all the school years aged up? i hope that makes sense lol

mattheo was born on january 7th 2005 (capricorn) theo was born on october 28th 2004 (scorpio) blaise was born on november 28th 2004 (sagittarius) enzo was born on march 2nd 2005 (pisces) draco was born on june 5th 2005 (gemini) pansy was born on july 7th 2005 (cancer)

✮ . . . draco is 6” blaise is 6”2 mattheo is 6”5 theo is 6”4 enzo is 6”2

im not sure why they’re all so tall??? i didn’t script this so it’s probably my subconscious wanting a height difference or something. but their parents aren’t tall either from what i’ve heard so it’s a mystery ? puberty did them good.

✮ . . . these guys are so built, they take their healths so seriously when it comes to food. they train so much for quidditch, enzo trains with them sometimes too just to keep his health up. their arms, their thighs, their abs. so toned and defined. literally hench

✮ . . . the only people who can see thestrals are theo and mattheo, this is because they both witnessed the death of theo’s mother. even though theo says he’s still processing the death of his mum, he can still see these thestrals. which can only been seen only after you have processed the death you have witnessed.

my dr background with the boys + pansy

✮ . . . we’ve all known eachother since forever as we all grew up together. our parents were all ‘friends’? they weren’t friends just accomplices i guess you could say. they are business partners and they invest in eachothers work. some of our parents know eachother from school or distant family.

✮ . . . we were all kind of passed around eachothers houses LMAO there was always some kind of shit going on so we had to spend a few nights in eachothers houses, i say few but it was A LOT of nights.

✮ . . . we’ve been together 24/7 since and we almost never spend time apart. which can be overwhelming so we of course have boundaries.

thanks for reading ❦｡･:*:･ﾟ. follows, likes & reblogs are appreciated x

[livelybutterflyy]

introducing my kpop drself

EARLY LIFE :

Moon Seulbi was born October 8th 2004 to a lawyer mother & businessman father in Seoul , South korea. She is the youngest of three siblings , Moon Jinyoung & Moon Jisung are her older siblings , Jinyoung (Da’ah) is an actress while Jisung is a fellow idol.

During her childhood / teenhood , she traveled and lived in many places, for example , the first 5 years of her life were spent in Tokyo, Japan , where she began dancing . Then she spent two years in Paris , where she first witnessed Fencing, and she begged her mom to learn. 

here are a list of some of the places she lived in as a child:

Seoul , South korea (obv)

Tokyo, Japan

Paris, france

London, England

New York city, United states

SCOUTING STORY :

Her father was a prominent businessman and was friends with JYP , Jyp offered to train his daughter ( Seulbi ) to be an idol, and without her consent, He agreed, on one condition, he would have a manager street cast her first, to take the blame off him.

Seulbi was seven years old when she was walking with her mother to the park when a JYP manager came up to her and asked if she’d like to be an idol. Seulbi, who was extremely emotional and afraid of everything, immediately burst into tears. Her mother agreed on her behalf.

DEARLIE :

DEARLIE was a 4 member kids girl group under JYP entertainment, the group consisted of Minseo, Sieun , Jaylie & Sooyoung. They debuted august 16 2013 with the song “Gee”. The group disbanded in January of 2016 after their contracts were terminated. 

Dearlie was a highly successful group , even with the controversy of a 8 year old debuting, it was marketed as a “kids girl group” for that exact reason. It remained unknown until 2023 why their contracts were mysteriously terminated.

POST-DEARLIE :

Sooyoung was only 11 years old when DEARLIE disbanded, eager to stay in the kpop industry where she felt appreciated, Sooyoung partook in Sixteen, Idol school & Produce 101 , all in the time of 9 months. After failing to debut in the three groups, Sooyoung quit being a trainee but was hired as a producer, stylist, choreographer  and concept designer for JYP , she worked on groups like SKZ, MISS A, TWICE & ITZY. She was the "mind" behind Skz, as she created their concept & discography nearly by herself

During this time, she didn’t even live in Korea ! Sooyoung attended the most prestigious boarding school in the world , Lucent arts academy in England where she majored in dance and minored in mythology until her departure in 2019.

LYONU :

Sooyoung had been longing for her return to the Kpop industry for a while, so when TNS reached out and asked if she’d like to audition for them, Sooyoung said yes. By July of 2019, Sooyoung was a trainee at TNS, by September of 2019, she was in the debut line up.  !! She had quit JYP by then !!

The nowhere girls club (TNGC) debuted June 5 2020 with the song Generation , it was a massive hit both domestically and internationally, with Sooyoung serving as the songs producer & songwriter.

By their second comeback with the full album “Stay out of my secrets” and the double title tracks Girls never die and Girls capitalism, TNGC had secured their place as a force to be reckoned with, not just in the kpop industry, but with the global music industry itself, with being nominated for 6 grammys and going home with 5.

SOLO VENTURES :

Moon Sooyoung is a brand. She is the most popular female idol ever. She has over 200 million followers on her solo instagram account , and she's only had it three years.

Some of her global  brand deals include : vivienne westwood, YSL, burberry , alexander mcqueen & graff diamonds. These are my 5 favs out of her 17 accumulated over the years. She is known as : global it girl, 4th gen fashion icon, dancing prodigy & ace of kpop (there are many more.)

Sooyoung constantly sets trends , including ; Lucky Jelly , off shoulder tops, reverse mirror selfies, heart cheek pose, , Sooyoungism, decorated shoes , custom decorated mics & more !!

For the two year and the four year anniversary of TNGC, each member released a mixtape for the fans, Sooyoung released BE PRETTY as her first solo and released INSANITY! As her second. Despite having small promotions, be pretty went extremely viral and got 1 billion streams in only 89 days and received over 13 music show wins in a 2 week timespan. Insanity! Also went extremely viral, reaching 1 billion streams in only 76 days ! it also received 15 music show wins in the two week promotion period

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

End of month update - June

Hello, all! This is the end-of-month update, where I post Tumblr’s current top four films that have received the highest percentage of “yes,” “no,” and “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

As of today, the top four films with the highest percentage of “yes” votes are:

Finding Nemo (2003) | Shrek (2001) | Monsters, Inc. (2001) | The Lion King (1994)

Next, the top four films with the highest percentage of “no” votes are:

Sausage Party (2016) | Pinocchio(2019) | Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) | All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Finally, the top four films with the highest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes are:

Faat Kiné (2001) | Now Add Honey (2015) | Like a Cat on a Highway (2017) | Dean Spanley (2008)

This top four changed through the new additions of Faat Kiné (2001) and Now Add Honey (2015), which replaced Monica and Friends: Bonds (2019) and Monsturd (2003).

Currently, The Incredibles (2004) is the still the only film to receive absolutely zero “haven’t heard of this” votes.

That’s it for June’s end-of-month update! Remember that you can view last month’s update by clicking here. Additionally, you can view the full ranked Letterboxd lists of movies that have come up on this blog by clicking the following links:

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “yes” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “no” votes.

This list is ranked from highest-to-lowest percentage of “haven’t even heard of this movie” votes.

Remember to vote on the polls that are currently running: The Road Within (2014) | About a Boy (2002) | Spy Kids (2001) | Frozen II (2019) | High Noon (1952) | Horns (2013) | Im Himmel ist die Hölle los (1984) | In Bruges (2008) | Sideways (2004) | Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) | Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie: Black Dream Hole (1995) | Mamma Mia! (2008) | Down with Love (2003) | Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010) | This is Spinal Tap (1984) | The Kids Are Alright (1979) | Lisztomania (1975) | A Little Chaos (2014) | Redline (2009) | The Stepford Wives (1975) | Blancanieves (2012) | Clerks (1994) | Promising Young Woman (2020) | What's Up, Doc? (1972) | The Apple (1980) | Broken (1993) | The Virgin Suicides (1999) | The Phantom of the Opera (2004) | The Wolf Man (1941) | The Boxtrolls (2014) | Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) | The Perfect Score (2004) | The Man from Earth (2007) | Shapeshifter (1999) | The Lighthouse (2019)

Also, remember that the ask box will open for requests some time before July 4th! There will be a post announcing when it's open, so keep an eye out for that if you'd like to request some movies!

[sukibon]

DELINQUENT ROAD HAZARDS HEADCANONS DUMP (1/?)

they have headcanoned birthdays now :3

BOOST: 2nd of november, 1998

DJ: 4th of february, 2004

WINGO: 23rd of july, 2000

SNOTROD: 19th of october, 1996

[pottedplant53]

Twisted Wonderland Birthdates/Birthyears, In Order.

A comprehensive list of each TWST character’s exact birthdate, in order, down to the year + their ages. This will be going off of Twisted Wonderland’s release date, (2020), and not the current year (2023 at the time of writing). Contains chapter 7 spoilers.

- I’m aware that the Japanese school year starts in April instead of September, but for some reason my brain refused to process this so I ended up doing these based around the school year cut-off being September. I decided to post it anyway, since I’m pretty sure most of it’s still accurate, though I may do a Japanese version at some point!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Lilia – Unknown, 1321. Chosen date is January 1st, 1321. (699 Years Old).

Silver – Unknown, 1621. Chosen date is May 15th, 2003. (299 - 300 Years Old, mentally 16 - 18).

Malleus – January 18th, 1842. (178 Years Old).

Leona – July 27th, 2000. (20 Years Old).

Trey – October 25th, 2001. (18 Years Old).

Rook – December 2nd, 2001. (18 Years Old).

Idia – December 18th, 2001. (18 Years Old).

Cater – February 4th, 2002. (18 Years Old).

Vil – April 9th, 2002. (18 Years Old).

Jamil – September 12th, 2002. (17 Years Old).

Jade - November 5th, 2002. (17 Years Old).

Floyd - November 5th, 2002. (17 Years Old).

Azul – February 24th, 2003. (17 Years Old).

Ruggie – April 18th, 2003. (17 Years Old).

Kalim – June 25th, 2003. (17 Years Old).

Riddle – August 24th, 2003. (17 Years Old).

Ace – September 23rd, 2003. (16 Years Old).

Jack – October 11th, 2003. (16 Years Old).

Sebek – March 17th, 2004. (16 Years Old).

Epel �� May 6th, 2004. (16 Years Old).

Deuce – June 3rd, 2004. (16 Years Old).

Ortho – August 14th, 2011 - 2013. (6 - 8 Years Old, mentally 11 - 16).

~Ortho’s age is anonymous, so I had to do some speculations and maths here. I’m going to assume that R!Ortho was 8 years old at the date of his death, and that Idia constructed O!Ortho when he was around 10. This would give their parents plenty of time to start caring about Robortho before the pair left for Night Raven. I’m going to assume that O!Ortho is either 3 years old with the mental state of an 11 year old, or 3 years old with the mental state of a 16 year old (since he joined the first years, albeit as a special exception). Personally I’m leaning more towards the former.

~If Lilia was 300 years old during the war and Silver was a baby at the time (seemingly 0 - 1 years old) then that would mean that his birthyear falls somewhere between 1620 - 1622, most likely 1621. Lilia also states that the day he found Silver was the day that he decided for Silver's birthday, meaning that the odds of May 15th being his real birthday are 1/365. During Silver's identity crisis dream we see what he looked like on the day that Lilia found him, which we've established was May 15th, and he looks to be roughly 6 months old.

It's possible that Lilia thought of this and decided to consider this Silver's 1st birthday, but if that were the case, there's a good 50% chance that Silver has actually been awake for 16 years of his life, which would actually be very clever since Aurora was 16. In the reverse, if Lilia decided to treat the day he found Silver as the day he was born, then there's a 50% chance that Silver is actually 18. Basically what I'm saying is I haven't got a fucking clue-)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope you get some use out of it, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on anything <3

[milligramspoison]

Updated list of potential FOB 8 ball songs

(An update to this post as the European leg starts tomorrow and some songs on the list made it as 8 ball songs as well as fixing any mistakes the previous post had!)

Evening Out With Your Girlfriend

Honorable Mention - last performed on January 22nd, 2007

Switchblades and Infidelity - last performed on August 28th, 2004

Pretty In Punk - has never been performed live (yet)

Growing Up - last performed on November 7th, 2008

The World's Not Waiting (For Five Tired Boys In A Broken Down Van) - has never been performed live (yet)

Short, Fast, and Loud - has never been performed live (yet)

Moving Pictures - last performed on November 23rd, 2005

Parker Lewis Can't Lose (But I'm Gonna Give It My Best Shot) - has never been performed live (yet)

Take This To Your Grave

Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today - last performed on July 24th, 2023

Homesick at Space Camp - last performed on July 16th, 2023

Sending Postcards From a Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here) - had its only live performance ever on March 12th, 2004

The Pros and Cons of Breathing - had its only live performance ever on November 19th, 2007

Grenade Jumper - last performed on February 20th, 2009

Reinventing the Wheel to Run Myself Over - last performed on November 19th, 2007

The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes - last performed on July 5th, 2023

My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue

My Heart is the Worst Kind of Weapon - has never been performed live (yet)

It's Not a Side Effect of the Cocaine, I Think It Must Be Love - has never been performed live (yet)

Love Will Tear Us Apart (cover) - had its only live performance ever on June 10th, 2004

From Under The Cork Tree

Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued - was the 8 ball on November 4th, 2023- its first performance since March 23rd, 2008!!

Of All the Gin Joints in All the World - last performed on June 23rd, 2023

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner - last performed on July 19th, 2023

I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song) - last performed on August 6th, 2023

7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen) - last performed on August 1st, 2023

Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year - was the 8 ball on October 25th, 2023 and December 9th, 2023!

Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends - has never been performed live (yet)

I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me - last performed on July 11th, 2023

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows) - last performed on August 4th, 2023

XO - was the 8 ball on November 8th, 2023 and December 12th, 2023!

Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers - last performed on January 30th, 2007

The Music or the Misery - last performed on May 30th, 2006

Infinity On High

Thriller - was the 8 ball on November 6th, 2023!

“The Take Over, the Breaks Over” - last performed on August 4th, 2023

Don't You Know Who I Think I Am? - was the 8 ball on October 27th, 2023!

The (After) Life of the Party - was the 8 ball on October 29th, 2023 and on December 1st, 2023!

The Carpal Tunnel of Love - last performed on April 4th, 2008

Bang The Doldrums - was the 8 ball on October 17th, 2023!

Fame < Infamy - was the 8 ball on November 7th, 2023, it’s second performance ever!!!

You're Crashing, but You're No Wave - was the 8 ball on October 31st, 2023, its second performance ever!!

G.I.N.A.S.F.S. - was the 8 ball on October 18th, 2023 and on November 8th, 2023!

It's Hard to Say “I Do”, When I Don't - has never been performed live (yet)

Folie à Deux

I Don’t Care - last performed on September 7th, 2023

She’s My Winona - last performed on July 19th, 2023

America's Suitehearts - last performed on July 2nd, 2023

The (Shipped Gold Standard) - was the 8 ball on November 2nd, 2023, it’s first performance ever and marks the fact they’ve performed every Folie song now!!

(Coffee’s for Closers) - last performed on July 1st, 2023

27 - was the 8 ball on October 24th, 2023!

Tiffany Blews - last performed on September 19th, 2009

w.a.m.s. - had its only live performance ever on August 2nd, 2023

20 Dollar Nose Bleed - last performed on September 29th, 2013

West Coast Smoker - had its only live performance ever on July 30th, 2023

Pavlove - had its only live performance ever on August 6th, 2023

Lullabye - last performed on April 26th, 2009

Believers Never Die: Greatest Hits

Alpha Dog - has never been performed live (yet)

“From Now On, We Are Enemies” - had its only live performance ever on July 26th, 2023

Yule Shoot Your Eye Out - had its first performance since December 18th, 2013 on December 12th, 2023 and it was for medley! Wasn’t even 8 ball!

Save Rock and Roll

Alone Together - last performed on November 17th, 2017

Where Did The Party Go - last performed on July 16th, 2023

Just One Yesterday - last performed on August 1st, 2023

The Mighty Fall - has never been performed live (yet)

Miss Missing You - last performed on July 25th, 2023

Death Valley - last performed on September 12th, 2014

Young Volcanoes - was the 8 ball on October 28th, 2023, its first performance since May 7th, 2018! And it was the 8 ball again on November 2nd, 2023 and December 3rd, 2023!

Rat a Tat - has never been performed live (yet)

PAX•AM Days

We Were Doomed from the Start (The King Is Dead) - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

Art of Keeping Up Disappearances - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

Hot to the Touch, Cold On the Inside - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

Love, Sex, Death - last performed on June 14th, 2014

Eternal Summer - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

Demigods - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

American Made - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

Caffeine Cold - had its only live performance ever on November 29th, 2013

New Dreams (cover) - had its only live performance ever on September 13th, 2013

American Beauty/American Psycho

Irresistible - last performed on March 7th, 2023

American Beauty/American Psycho - was the 8 ball on November 3rd, 2023, it’s first performance on Tourdust!!

The Kids Aren’t Alright - was the 8 ball on October 23rd, 2023 and December 6th, 2023!

Jet Pack Blues - last performed on August 6th, 2023

Novocaine - last performed on March 27th, 2017

Fourth Of July - last performed on March 22nd, 2017

Favorite Record - had its only live performance ever on July 15th, 2023

Immortals - last performed on September 7th, 2023

Twin Skeleton’s (Hotel In NYC) - has never been performed live (yet)

Mania

Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea - last performed on August 18th, 2019

The Last Of The Real Ones - last performed on July 29th, 2023

HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T - last performed on May 7th, 2018

Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) - last performed on November 4th, 2018

Church - last performed on April 30th, 2018

Heaven’s Gate - has never been performed live (yet)

Champion - last performed on December 6th, 2019

Sunshine Riptide - has never been performed live (yet)

Young and Menace - last performed on October 10th, 2018

Bishops Knife Trick - has never been performed live (yet)

LLAMANIA

Past Life - has never been performed live (yet)

Footprints in the Snow - has never been performed live (yet)

Wrong Side of Paradise - has never been performed live (yet)

Lake Effect Kid

Lake Effect Kid - last performed on October 10th, 2018

City In A Garden - has never been performed live (yet)

Super Fade - has never been performed live (yet)

Believers Never Die, Volume Two - Greatest Hits

Dear Future Self (Hands Up) - last performed on December 6th, 2019

Bob Dylan - had its only live performance ever on August 5th, 2023

So Much (For) Stardust

Heartbreak Feels So Good - last performed March 16th, 2023

So Good Right Now - has never been performed live (yet)

I Am My Own Muse - was the 8 ball on October 20th, 2023!

Flu Game - has never been performed live (yet)

The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years) - was the 8 ball on October 21st, 2023, it’s second performance ever!!

What a Time To Be Alive - was the 8 ball on November 3rd, 2023- it was played in full for the first time!!

So Much (For) Stardust - performed for the first time ever on November 2nd, 2023- it wasn’t even the 8 ball!

(Disclaimer: I included songs that have already been 8 balls as some have been performed as a 8 ball again and have been performed outside of the 8 ball range)

[usafphantom2]

AIM-174B Loadout Brings Back U.S. Navy’s Cold War Roots

The U.S. Navy's return to VLRAAMs offers a glimpse into the envisioned strategy to overcome the 'tyranny of distance' in the Pacific.

Carter Johnston

AIM-174B

Another sighting of the AIM-174B, this time at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, is offering a look at what the future of naval aviation air warfare operations could look like in a high intensity conflict, bringing back hints of the U.S. Navy’s past in great power competition.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet from Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 (VX-9), the primary test squadron for the AIM-174B, was spotted by father-son Instagram duo Mark and Taj of @point_mugu_skies. Fully loaded, the F/A-18F was carrying four CATM-174Bs, three CATM-120Ds, two CATM-9Xs, and a centerline fuel tank with the IRST-21 infrared-search-and-track system.

Operationally, this would offer a Super Hornet unparalleled capabilities for long-range engagements with four AIM-174Bs, backed up by AIM-120Ds that are reportedly approaching the threshold range for AIM-260 JATM range requirements–potentially up to 190 kilometers (120 miles).

The U.S. Navy’s investment into these advanced capabilities and longer ranges is another example of the evolving Carrier Air Wing concept heading into the late 2020s. Naval News previously reported on concept that was highlighted at this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise. The debut of operational AIM-174Bs in the U.S. Navy, which received significant press coverage during their appearance at RIMPAC 2024, marks a significant change in carrier air power.

Air Wing Of The Future

A VFA-97 ‘Warhawks’ F-35C Lightning II and VAW-113 ‘Black Eagles’ E-2D Advanced Hawkeye prepare for flight operations aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). The F-35C and E-2D provide the backbone of sensor coverage to the USS Carl Vinson and all of Carrier Strike Group One.

Return of the Outsized Giants

Through the mid-2010s and early 2020s, the U.S. Navy worked on a viable return to the fleet defense fighter concept, this time centered around the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Testing of an airborne RIM-174 ERAM may have started as far back as 2015 under the ‘Future Capability Demonstration’ (FCD) testing program. There are no public details of FCD but it featured captive carried airborne and land-based tests.

Testing continued through the 2010s under the same name, likely part of a larger Special Access Program (SAP). A captive carry RIM-174 was first spotted in 2021 painted in an orange test scheme, flying with a VX-31 Test and Evaluation Squadron Super Hornet. It was spotted again in early June 2024, this time flying with a VX-9 Test and Evaluation Squadron Super Hornet.

Naval News was first to break the story on the missile’s operational capacity in the U.S. Navy. On July 4th, a U.S. Navy Spokesperson declared the AIM-174B ‘SM-6 ALC’ as “deployed in the Navy today”. In the following days, the missile had a very public debut at RIMPAC 2024 with VX-9 and the USS Carl Vinson‘s CVW-2 Advanced Air Wing.

The AIM-174B likely boasts a range exceeding 400 km given the size of the missile itself alongside the unclassified performance numbers of the surface-launched RIM-174 ERAM. It is the first dedicated VLRAAM in U.S. Navy service since the retirement of the AIM-54C Phoenix in 2004.

The U.S. Navy also has another up-and-coming long-range AAM, the AIM-120D3 AMRAAM, the latest AMRAAM variant in the family. According to an Air and Space Forces interview with John Norman, Raytheon vice president for requirements and capabilities for air and space systems, the AIM-120D3 is approaching threshold range for the AIM-260 JATM program, specifically that it is “beyond parity” with the AIM-260.

The VX-9 Super Hornet spotted near Point Mugu would offer four missiles, AIM-174Bs, that could hit targets 400+ kilometers (248+ miles) away with an additional three missiles, AMRAAMs, that could hit targets 200+ kilometers (124+ miles) away. All seven of those missiles having a longer range than the Cold War’s AIM-54 Phoenix.

History of the U.S. Navy’s Very Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (VLRAAM) Family

Upon the cancellation of the U.S. Air Force XF-108 and YF-12 high-altitude interceptors and their unique long-range AIM-47 Falcon air-to-air missiles, the United States was faced with a critical range gap against up-and-coming threats from Soviet bomber regiments and their advanced anti-ship missiles going into the 1960s.

The U.S. Navy was working on their own fleet defense fighter, the Douglas F6D Missileer, alongside a dedicated air-to-air missile, the AAM-N-10 Eagle. Both programs were shuttered in late 1961 following arguments against the aircraft due to system complexity, lack of self-defense capabilities, and impending budget cuts.

An artist rendition of the Bendix AAM-N-10 Eagle fired by a Douglas F6D Missileer. Both were cancelled in December 1961. U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News.

Despite the loss of the Missileer, the U.S. Navy still wanted a carrier-based, fleet defense oriented fighter aircraft with long reach and very long-range air-to-air missiles. One that could engage large, non-maneuvering targets from outside the range of opposing escort aircraft. To meet the need, the developer of the AIM-47 Falcon, Hughes, pitched the missile to the U.S. Navy as the AAM-N-11 Phoenix. The dedicated radar needed for the missile, the AN/ASG-18, was also modified and pitched to the U.S. Navy as the AN/AWG-9.

Many eyes looked to the TF-X program and F-111B to fill the role of a fleet defense fighter. That development effort also ran into obstacles through the 1960s. The F-111B was plagued by excessive weight, poor performance on carrier takeoffs and landings, and lack of engine power. It was cancelled in May 1968 and only seven aircraft were delivered.

The first two U.S. Navy General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B fighters (BuNo 151970, 151971) in flight over Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts (USA). 151970 made its first flight on 15 May 1965 and was stricken on 3 December 1969. 151971 crashed on 11 September 1968 into the Pacific Ocean 160 km west of Point Mugu, California. The test pilots Barton Warren and Anthony Byland were killed. U.S. Navy photo.

The U.S. Navy’s decade long effort to extend their fleet defense envelope ended with the rapid development and introduction of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The fighter came with its own problems, partially due to the requirement of the large AN/AWQ-9 and outsized AIM-54 Phoenix, but also due to the TF30’s turbine blade reliability as and a compressor stall risk at high angles of attack.

The F-14 served into the 2000s, with iterations throughout its life that made the F-14 more reliable and made the AIM-54 even more potent in long-range engagements. The AIM-54 was retired in 2004 with the U.S. Navy’s AIM-120C AMRAAM entering widespread use. The F-14 retired two years later in 2006 after 32 years of flying, replaced by the Super Hornet.

20 years after the retirement of the AIM-54, the U.S. Navy has returned to its former days of long-range air-to-air missile concepts and practices. The culmination of AIM-174B development has brought that capability back to the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Air Wings into the late 2020s and 2030s.

@NavalAirNews.com