Country: United States Of American
Missile Type: Air To Air Missile
Service Type: Yes
Washington DC (Washington Insider Magazine) — The AGM-88 HARM is a high-speed anti-radiation missile. It is a tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile that is designed for the electronic transmissions that come from surface-to-air radar systems. The missile was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system. The production of this missile was later taken over by the Raytheon Corporation. It was purchased for the defense production business of Texas Instruments.
AGM-88 HARM: Description
The AGM-88 is an air-to-air missile that can detect, attack, and destroy a radar antenna and a transmitter. This missile requires minimal aircrew input as it has a lot of power. The proportional guidance system is home to the enemy radar emissions and comes with a fixed antenna. This missile is a seeker’s head in the missile’s nose.
It is a smokeless, solid-propellant, booster-sustainer rocket that propels through the air. The missile can move at speeds over Mach 2.0. The HARM is a missile program that was led by the U.S. Navy. It was first carried by the A-6E, A-7, and F/A-18A/B aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) had put the HARM onto the F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft. They later specialized in F-16s along with the HARM Targeting System (HTS). The missile comes with three operational modes: Pre-Briefed (PB), Target Of Opportunity (TOO), and Self-Protect (SP). The HTS pod can be used by the USAF only.
AGM-88 HARM Missile Specs
- Primary Function: Air-to-surface anti-radiation missile.
- Contractor: Raytheon Co.
- Power Plant: Thiokol dual-thrust rocket motor.
- Thrust: Dual thrust.
- Length: 13 feet, 8 inches (4.14 meters)
- Launch Weight: 800 pounds (360 kilograms)
- Diameter: 10 inches (25.40 centimeters)
Buyers Of AGM-88 HARM
AGM-88 HARM is a high-rated missile and it has been purchased by 3 countries so far. Read on to know the details:
1.Israel
In 2013, US President Obama offered AGM-88 to Israel. The country purchased the missile and used it in several operations in Israel.
2. Italy
Starting in March 2011, AGM-88 HARM was used in Italy during Operation Unified Protector. The Italians Tornadoes used AGM-88 HARMs against Libyan air defenses.
3. Ukraine
In mid-2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US delivered AGM-88 HARM missiles to Ukraine. This was disclosed after the Russian forces showed footage of a tail fin in early August 2022. The U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that the US has sent some anti-radiation missiles that could be fired by the Ukrainian aircraft.
Recent Use In Battlefield
In August 2022, a senior U.S. defense official confirmed that the Ukrainians have successfully integrated the AGM-88 HARM missile. The “MiG aircraft”, used by Ukraine was a fighter jet and was operated during the recent war between Ukraine and Russia. The video evidence of AGM-88 missiles fired by upgraded Ukrainian MiG-29s was recently released by the Ukrainian Air Force a few days later.
In early September 2022, a Ukrainian Su-27S was used on the battlefield. The AGM-88 HARM was fitted on the wing pylons. This was the first time the Su-27 was spotted along with the AGM-88. This missile was directly fitted to the APU-470 missile launchers.
FAQS
1.How Does AGM-88 HARM Work?
The AGM-88 can detect, attack, and destroy any target with a minimum aircrew input. The proportional guidance system comes with the ability to destroy enemy radar emissions. It has a fixed antenna and seeker head that attacks the enemy in a few seconds. This dual-thrust rocket motor starts to make the missile as soon as the power button gets started.
2. What Aircraft Can Carry AGM-88?
However, the AGM-88 HARM missile can be employed by the F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, F-4, EA-6B, F-35, Tornado, and Eurofighter. None of these aircraft are used by the Armed Forces of the United States. The missile destroys the enemy from a great distance
3. Does Ukraine Have AGM-88?
In August 2022, US defense officials confirmed the open-source intelligence (OSINT) sightings of the AGM-88 missile. The Ukrainian Air Force was using the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM and was launched from a Ukrainian aircraft
4. Is AGM-88 Fire-and-Forget?
The AGM-88 HARM Missile is a fire-and-forget missile. This means that the missile can home in on the target by itself, and the users are free to turn away the craft after they have launched it.
Read More: AIM-7 Sparrow: Specifications, Buyers & Recent Use In Battlefield
5. When Was The AGM-88 Made?
The AGM-88 HARM is a supersonic air-to-surface anti-radiation missile. It first entered service in 1985 and has been improved with various updates to date.
