AGM-88 HARM, the new anti-radar missile
- Category
Science & Technology
- Published
19th Aug, 2022
-
Context
US has supplied some “anti-radiation missiles” to Ukraine, which could be used by Ukrainian Air Force aircraft.
About
AGM-88 HARM missile:
- The acronym 'HARM' in the AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface missile stands for High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile.
- It is a tactical weapon fired from fighter aircraft, and has the capability to detect and home into radiation emitted by hostile radar stations that have surface-to-air detection capabilities.
- Developed & produced by: The missile was originally developed by the Dallas-headquartered Texas Instruments, but is now produced by the major American defence contractor Raytheon Corporation.
- An advanced version of the weapon is manufactured by Dulles, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman.
- Size: The AGM-88 HARM is 14 metres in length, but only 10 inches in diameter.
- Weight: It weighs around 360 kg and carries a fragmentation type warhead that is optimised for radar targets.
- Range: The missile has a range of more than 100 km.
Important Features
- It also has an anti-radar homing seeker broadband RF antenna and receiver, and a solid state digital processor.
- The AGM-88 can detect, attack and destroy a target with minimum aircrew input.
- The proportional guidance system that hones in on enemy radar emissions has a fixed antenna and seeker head in the missile nose.
- A smokeless, solid-propellant, dual-thrust rocket motor propels the missile.
