The
AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation MissileAn anti-radiation missile is a missile which is designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source. Typically these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communication can also be targeted in this manner.- Air-to-Ground :Most ARM...
(
HARM) is a tactical, air-to-surface
missileA missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used...
designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air
radarRadar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for RAdio Detection And...
systems. It was originally developed by
Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, renowned for developing and commercializing semiconductor and computer technology. TI is the No. 4 manufacturer of semiconductors worldwide after Intel, Samsung and Toshiba, and is the top supplier...
(TI) as a replacement for the
AGM-45 ShrikeAGM-45 Shrike is an American anti-radiation missile designed to home in on hostile antiaircraft radars. The Shrike was developed by the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake in 1963 by mating a seeker head to the rocket body of an AIM-7 Sparrow. It was phased out by U.S...
and
AGM-78 Standard ARMThe AGM-78 Standard ARM was a missile developed by General Dynamics, United States of America. ARM stands for anti-radiation missile.-Overview:...
system. Production was later taken over by Raytheon Corporation (RAYCO) when they purchased TI's defense business.
The AGM-88 can detect, attack and destroy a radar antenna or transmitter with minimal aircrew input.
The
AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation MissileAn anti-radiation missile is a missile which is designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source. Typically these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communication can also be targeted in this manner.- Air-to-Ground :Most ARM...
(
HARM) is a tactical, air-to-surface
missileA missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used...
designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air
radarRadar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for RAdio Detection And...
systems. It was originally developed by
Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, renowned for developing and commercializing semiconductor and computer technology. TI is the No. 4 manufacturer of semiconductors worldwide after Intel, Samsung and Toshiba, and is the top supplier...
(TI) as a replacement for the
AGM-45 ShrikeAGM-45 Shrike is an American anti-radiation missile designed to home in on hostile antiaircraft radars. The Shrike was developed by the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake in 1963 by mating a seeker head to the rocket body of an AIM-7 Sparrow. It was phased out by U.S...
and
AGM-78 Standard ARMThe AGM-78 Standard ARM was a missile developed by General Dynamics, United States of America. ARM stands for anti-radiation missile.-Overview:...
system. Production was later taken over by Raytheon Corporation (RAYCO) when they purchased TI's defense business.
Operation
The AGM-88 can detect, attack and destroy a radar antenna or transmitter with minimal aircrew input. The proportional guidance system that homes in on enemy radar emissions has a fixed antenna and seeker head in the missile's nose. A smokeless, solid-propellant,
dual-thrustIn a dual-thrust solid fuel rocket motor, the propellant mass is composed of two different types or densities of fuel. In the case of a tandem dual-thrust motor, the fuel closest to the rocket nozzle burns fast and the fuel further into the motor's body burns slower...
rocket motor propels the missile at speeds over
MachMach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance...
2. HARM, a Navy-led program, was initially integrated onto the
A-6EThe Grumman A-6 Intruder is a twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather replacement for the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider medium attack aircraft. A specialized electronic warfare derivative, the...
,
A-7The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War. The Corsair was later adopted by the United States Air Force, to include the Air National Guard, to...
and F/A-18 and later onto the EA-6B. RDT&E for use on the F-14 was begun, but not completed. The Air Force introduced HARM on the
F-4GThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
Wild WeaselWild Weasel is a nickname for an aircraft of the United States Air Force specially equipped with radar seeking missiles used to remove radars and SAM installations of enemy air defence systems...
and later on specialized F-16s equipped with the
HARM Targeting SystemThe HARM Targeting System is a pod mounted to the side of an F-16 aircraft that enables the aircraft to track the location of hostile radar systems that can then be engaged with AGM-88 HARM or other air to surface weapons....
(HTS).
Deployment
The HARM missile was approved for full production in March 1983 and deployed in late 1985 with
VA-72VA-72 has the following meanings:*Attack Squadron 72 *State Route 72...
and VA-46 aboard the aircraft carrier
USS AmericaUSS America may refer to:, a 74-gun ship of the line, laid down in 1777, but not launched until 1782.* America pressed into United States naval service as a picket boat during the Civil War., was part of the Civil War “Stone Fleet” deliberately sunk to block the harbor in Charleston, S.C...
. It was soon used in combat; in March 1986 against a
LibyanLibya , officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , is a country located in North Africa...
SA-5 site in the
Gulf of SidraGulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte. It is located by the city of Sirte...
, and then Operation Eldorado Canyon in April. HARM was used extensively by the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
and the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
for Operation Desert Storm during the
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
of 1991.
"Magnum" is spoken over the radio to announce the launch of an AGM-88. During the Gulf War, if an aircraft was illuminated by enemy radar a bogus "Magnum" call on the radio was often enough to convince the operators to power down.
Variants
The newest upgrade is the
AGM-88E Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missile (
AARGM) built by
Alliant TechsystemsAlliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ' ticker symbol, is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in America with approximately 17,000 employees and operations in 21 states. The company headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Background:ATK was formed in 1990...
, which is a joint venture by the Italian Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense.
The AARGM will feature the latest software, enhanced capabilities intended to counter radar shutdown, passive radar and active millimeter wave seekers. It will be released in November 2010.
It will be initially integrated onto the FA-18C/D, FA-18E/F, EA-18G and Tornado ECR aircraft and later on the F-35.
Gulf War friendly fire incident
During the
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
, the HARM was involved in a friendly fire incident when the pilot of an
F-4GThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
Wild WeaselWild Weasel is a nickname for an aircraft of the United States Air Force specially equipped with radar seeking missiles used to remove radars and SAM installations of enemy air defence systems...
escorting a
B-52 bomberThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered, strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since 1955....
mistook the latter's tail gun radar for an Iraqi AAA site. (This was after the tail gunner of the B-52 had targeted the F-4G, mistaking it for an Iraqi
MiGMig may refer to:*Mikoyan or "MiG", formerly "Mikoyan-Gurevich", a Russian military aircraft manufacturer*Marfin Investment Group*Minnesota IMPLAN Group, inc*Gas metal arc welding, also called "MIG welding"...
). The pilot launched the missile and then saw that the target was the B-52, which was hit. It survived with shrapnel damage to the tail. The B-52 was subsequently renamed "In HARM’s Way".
External links