AGM-88 HARM

Homing on radar

The HARM is a supersonicSupersonic GlossaryFlight: The regime of flight from about Mach 1.20 to 5.00, with definite supersonic flow on all parts of the aircraft. Above Mach 5.00 is hypersonic. missile that homesHoming GlossaryNavigation: Flying to a station by keeping the bearing pointer at the top of the instrument without correcting for wind. In a crosswind it flies a curved path.Weapons: The technique whereby a mobile station directs itself, or is directed, towards a source of primary or reflected energy, or to a specified point. on the transmissions of surface-to-air radars, built to replace the AGM-45 ShrikeAGM-45 Shrike OrdnanceThe Vietnam-era anti-radiation missile built from a Sparrow, lofted at Fan Song radars by Wild Weasels. and the AGM-78 Standard ARM. [1] It can detect, attack and destroy a radar antenna or transmitter with little input from the crew, and can pick a single target out of many emitters. [1] [2] A fixed antenna and seeker in the nose feed a proportional guidance system, and a smokeless dual-thrust rocket motor drives it at more than MachMach number GlossaryFlight: The ratio of the true airspeed to the speed of sound. All compressibility effects depend on it. 2. [1] [2] It is a weapon for the suppression of enemy air defences, SEADSEAD GlossaryJoint terms: Suppression of enemy air defenses. Activity that neutralizes, destroys, or temporarily degrades surface-based enemy air defenses by destructive and/or disruptive means..

Three modes

The missile has three operating modes: Pre-Briefed, Target of Opportunity and Self-Protect. [1] The aircraft passes target parameters to the missile before launch. [2] In the Air Force, the F-4GF-4 Phantom II AircraftThe big two-seat Cold War fighter-bomber; the F-4E added an internal gun and slats after Vietnam. Wild Weasel paired it with its APR-47 radar attack and warning system [2]; later, F-16sF-16 Fighting Falcon AircraftA single-engine multirole fighter: fly-by-wire, 9 g, and the US Air Force's main strike and SEAD aircraft. carried the HARM Targeting System pod, which detects and targets radars automatically rather than relying on the missile’s own sensors. [1]

Magnum

The HARM was first used in March 1986 against a Libyan S-200SA-5 Gammon Threat systemA very long-range strategic SAM guided by the Square Pair continuous-wave radar. site in the Gulf of Sidra, and widely by all three US air arms in Desert Storm. [1] “MagnumMAGNUM GlossaryBrevity: Launch of FRIENDLY anti-radiation missile.” is spoken over the radio when one is launched; in the Gulf War a bogus Magnum call was often enough to make radar operators switch off. [1] Its dangers show in the same war: an F-4G pilot mistook a B-52’s tail-gun radar for an Iraqi gun site and fired; the B-52 survived with shrapnel damage. [1]