| AGM-88 HARM[1] | |
|---|---|
An AGM-88 HARM missile loaded aboard an F/A-18C |
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| Type | Air-to-surface anti-radiation missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1985–present |
| Used by | U.S. and others |
| Wars | Gulf War, Kosovo War, Iraq War, 2011 military intervention in Libya |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Texas Instruments |
| Designed | 1983 |
| Manufacturer | Texas Instruments, then Raytheon Corporation |
| Unit cost | US$284,000 US$870,000 for E variant[2] |
| Produced | 1985–present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 355 kilograms (780 lb) |
| Length | 4.1 metres (13 ft) |
| Diameter | 254 millimetres (10.0 in) |
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| Warhead | WDU-21/B blast-fragmentation in a WAU-7/B warhead section, and later WDU-37/B blast-framentation warhead. |
| Warhead weight | 66 kilograms (150 lb) |
| Detonation mechanism |
FMU-111/B laser proximity fuze |
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| Engine | Thiokol SR113-TC-1 dual-thrust rocket engine |
| Wingspan | 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) |
| Propellant | Solid fuel |
| Operational range |
57 nautical miles (66 mi; 106 km) |
| Speed | 2,280 kilometres per hour (1,420 mph) |
| Guidance system |
Passive radar homing with home-on-jam,GPS/INS and EHF active radar homing in E variant.[3] 500-20,000 MHz for AGM-88C |
| Launch platform |
F/A-18, F-4G, F-16, Tornado IDS, F-35 and others |
The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system. Production was later taken over by Raytheon Corporation (RAYCO) when it purchased the defense production business of Texas Instruments.
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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-thrust rocket motor propels the missile at speeds over Mach 2. HARM, a Navy-led program, was initially integrated onto the A-6E, A-7 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-4G Wild Weasel and later on specialized F-16s equipped with the HARM Targeting System (HTS).
The HARM missile was approved for full production in March 1983, and then deployed in late 1985 with VA-72 and VA-46 aboard the aircraft carrier USS America. It was soon used in combat—in March 1986 against a Libyan SA-5 site in the Gulf of Sidra, and then Operation Eldorado Canyon in April. HARM was used extensively by the United States Navy and the United States Air Force for Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War of 1991.
"Magnum" is spoken over the radio to announce the launch of an AGM-88.[4] 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.[5] This technique would also be employed in Serbia during air operations in 1999.
The newest upgrade is a joint venture by the Italian Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense: the AGM-88E Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), produced by Alliant Techsystems.
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.[6]
During the Gulf War, the HARM was involved in a friendly fire incident when the pilot of an F-4G Wild Weasel escorting a B-52 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 MiG). 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 and no casualties. The B-52 was subsequently renamed In HARM's Way.[7]
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