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.