AGM-88 HARM

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AGM-88 HARM[1]

An AGM-88 HARM missile loaded aboard an F/A-18C

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 AGM-88E[2]

Produced 1983–present

Specifications

Weight 355 kilograms (783 lb)

Length 4.1 metres (13 ft)

Diameter 254 millimetres (10.0 in)

Warhead WDU-21/B blast-fragmentation in a

WAU-7/B warhead section, and later

WDU-37/B blast-fragmentation warhead.

Warhead weight 66 kilograms (146 lb)

Detonation FMU-111/B laser proximity fuze

mechanism

Engine Thiokol SR113-TC-1 dual-thrustrocket

engine

Wingspan 1.1 metres (3.6 ft)

Propellant Solid fuel

Operational 150 kilometres; 92 miles (80 nmi)[3]

range

Speed 2,280 km/h (1,420 mph)

Guidance Passive radar homing with home-on-

system
 jam, GPS/INS and millimeter

wave active radar homing in E variant.

[4]
500-20,000 MHz for AGM-88C

Launch F/A-18, F-4G, F-16, Tornado IDS,F-

platform
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 when it
purchased the defense production business of Texas Instruments.

Contents
[hide]

 1Description

 2History

o 2.1Deployment

o 2.2AGM-88E AARGM

 3Operators

o 3.1Current operators

 4See also

 5References

 6External links

Description[edit]
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, booster-
sustainer rocket motor propels the missile at speeds over Mach 2. HARM, a U.S. 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 USAF introduced HARM on the F-4G Wild Weasel and
later on specialized F-16s equipped with the HARM Targeting System (HTS).

History[edit]
This section
requires expansionwith:
 Development history is missing and
later history is thin on
details. (September 2012)

Deployment[edit]
The HARM missile was approved for full production in March 1983, obtained initial operating
capability (IOC) on the A-7E Corsair II in late 1983 and then deployed in late 1985 with VA-46 aboard
the aircraft carrier USS America. In 1986 the first successful firing of the HARM from an EA-6B was
performed by VAQ-131. 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.
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-52bomber 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 F-4 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.[5]
"Magnum" is spoken over the radio to announce the launch of an AGM-88. [6] 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.[7] This technique would also be employed in Serbia during air
operations in 1999.
In 2013 President Obama offered the AGM-88 to Israel for the first time. [8]
AGM-88E AARGM[edit]

AGM-88E

The newest upgrade, the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), features the
latest software, enhanced capabilities intended to counter radar shutdown and passive radar using
an additional active millimeter wave seeker. It was released in November 2010 and is a joint venture
by the US Department of Defense and the Italian Ministry of Defense and is produced by Alliant
Techsystems.
In November 2005, the Italian Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense signed a
Memorandum of Agreement on the joint development of the AGM-88E AARGM missile. Italy was
providing $20 million of developmental funding as well as several millions worth of material,
equipment and related services. The Italian Air Force was expected to procure up to 250 missiles for
its Tornado ECR aircraft. Thus flight test program was set to integrate the AARGM onto Tornado
ECR's weapon system.
The Navy demonstrated the AARGM's capability during Initial Operational Test and Evaluation
(IOT&E) in spring 2012 with live firing of 12 missiles. Aircrew and maintenance training with live
missiles was completed in June.
The Navy authorized Full-Rate Production (FRP) of the AARGM in August 2012, with 72 missiles for
the Navy and nine for the Italian Air Force to be delivered in 2013. A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18
Hornet squadron will be the first forward-deployed unit with the AGM-88E.[9]
In September 2013, ATK delivered the 100th AARGM to the U.S. Navy. The AGM-88E program is on
schedule and on budget, with Full Operational Capability (FOC) planned for September 2014. [10] The
AGM-88E was designed to improve the effectiveness of legacy HARM variants against fixed and
relocatable radar and communications sites, particularly those that would shut down to throw off anti-
radiation missiles, by attaching a new seeker to the existing Mach 2-capable rocket motor and
warhead section, adding a passive anti-radiation homing receiver, satellite and inertial navigation
system, a millimeter wave radar for terminal guidance, and the ability to beam up images of the
target via asatellite link just seconds before impact.[11]
It will be initially integrated onto the F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G, and Tornado ECR aircraft and
later on the F-35.[12]
The Navy's FY 2016 budget included funding for an extended range AARGM-ER that utilizes the
existing guidance system and warhead of the AGM-88E with a solid integrated rocket-ramjet for
double the range. Development funding will last to 2020. [13]
In September 2015, the AGM-88E successfully hit a mobile ship target in a live-fire test,
demonstrating the missile's ability to use anti-radiation homing and millimeter wave radar to detect,
identify, locate, and engage moving targets.[14]
Although the U.S. chose the Orbital ATK-produced AGM-88E, Raytheon created their own version of
the AARGM called the AGM-88F HARM Control Section Modification (HCSM) that incorporates
similar upgrade features, which could allow the company to offer their missile for export. [15]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-88_HARM
High-Speed Anti-
Radiation Missile
Counters Advanced Radar
Threats
The AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM®) is a joint U.S. Navy and Air Force program
developed by the Navy and Raytheon.

HARM's primary mission is to suppress or destroy surface-to-air missile radar and radar-directed air defense

artillery systems. Once airborne, it can operate in three modes: preemptive, missile-as-sensor and self-protect.

Continued hardware and software upgrades have allowed HARM to counter advanced radar threats. HARM

has proven itself in both reliability and combat performance. It is employed on a variety of Navy, Air Force and

Marine Corps aircraft including the EA-6B, F-16 and F/A-18. The U.S. government makes HARM available

through Foreign Military Sales.

HARM CONTROL SECTION MODIFICATION (HCSM)

Raytheon is developing a HARM upgrade, called the HARM Control Section Modification. HCSM adds a GPS

receiver and an improved inertial measurement unit for precision navigation. HCSM also features a digital flight

computer that merges targeting solutions from navigation and seeker systems. The enhancements improve the

probability of hit, while controlling where the missile can and cannot fly.

Learn more about Raytheon's Precision Weapons. http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/harm/