Defeating Russian Air Defense: How HARM Missiles Work

U.S. weapons bring high prospects for the Ukrainian Armed Forces

The AFU used the latest American AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles against Russian air defence radars. Photos of the wreckage taken at Russian positions have been posted online.

On August 5-7, the AFU General Staff reports the destruction of a record high number of Russian air defence facilities - 14 SAMs and radars of the Russian Armed Forces. While not a single Russian air defence system was destroyed on August 4, according to our official reports, it is obvious that the enemy missed a sudden powerful blow. This does not look like an exaggeration with the use of HARM, such a "defeat" is quite possible. The AFU had not used anti-radar missiles before. Russian radars operated almost unhindered. So, the surprise effect was achieved. I hope someday we will hear the details of this operation, which cost Russia equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars and personnel losses.

Given that the wreckage of the missile on the published photo refers to the tail part and the place of impact is not shown. The HARM hit the Russian radar. The warhead of the missile has a non-contact fuse. It consists of thousands of completed fragments. The missile exploded right where it was supposed to.

Anti-radar missiles are one of the most classified weapons because the characteristics of air defence annihilation systems are one of the greatest secrets. The delivery of HARM missiles to Ukraine means that our allies trust us with their most advanced weapons virtually without restriction. This is the highest level of clearance.

The HARM missile is tuned to the radar emission, adjusts to any radar frequency and can either be programmed in advance to engage a particular type of radar or be launched into the enemy's air defence area to search and engage radars independently. The missile itself gives no active emission. One cannot detect it by electronic reconnaissance means. Only the radar can detect it. But it is challenging to intercept the missile because of its small size and speed of 2.2 thousand kilometres per hour. It means the attack and target search are very quick. If the enemy turns off the radar, it will not save him. HARM remembers the coordinates of the radar emission and still heads towards the chosen target. The warhead of the missile is 66 kg and includes up to 12 thousand warheads. It guarantees the destruction of the radar and inflicts damage to the crews and all the objects around.

Since HARM missiles are used from NATO aircraft, the Russian blog BMPD believes the missiles were used by the AFU from ground missile launchers.

We have no information on how the AFU launched HARM missiles.

One can say that the effectiveness of Ukrainian UAVs and HIMARS MLRSs will now significantly increase. The Russian Armed Forces are unable to form a dense radar field in the operational and tactical areas. The use of Russian air defence radars and anti-aircraft missile systems to combat Ukrainian UAVs and MLRSs causes a high risk of simultaneous HARM launch.

A massive HARM launch - 20-30 missiles simultaneously - can destroy the Russian air defence for hundreds of kilometres of frontline and let all types of our missile systems and many UAVs operate unhindered.

Russians will have to significantly increase the number of surface-to-air missile systems and air defence radars to cover important targets in several echelons and constantly manoeuvre their air defence forces. Now the operation time of air defence forces from one location will reduce. They will have to constantly change positions after a radar activation. In other words, the Russian army has to involve much more forces, resources and people. Meanwhile, it does not guarantee the protection of objects and Russian air defence forces.

The fact that Ukraine has received means of temporary control of the air in certain frontline areas is of great operational importance. Now our UAVs can operate in the areas where Russian SAMs used to work hard and hunt down any quadcopter. Of course, it requires appropriate tactics.

Now we can clear the space from Russian radars and adjust fire with Leleka or Fly eye.

The AFU has never used anti-radar missiles in a combat situation before. The new ultra-modern weapons give the AFU great new opportunities for destroying the Russian occupiers.

The delivery of F-16 fighters with JDAM-guided bombs will provide the greatest opportunities for the AFU. The air defence mop-up team will be able to knock out the radars with HARMs (launch range from 110 to 150 km from aircraft) and then the fighters will fly up to 30-40 km to the front without any problems and hit many targets on the ground. Now one can equip our Mig-29 and Su-25 with laser-targeters for Turkish QFAB-guided air bombs, as Azerbaijan has done. The mop-up of the frontal skies from Russian radars will enable the use of aircraft from medium altitudes and considerable distances from the front lines and stop the risky and not always effective use of unguided bombs and missiles from short distances and low altitudes.

HARM missiles offer high prospects for the AFU.

We express our gratitude to the U.S. and our allies for their assistance in the fight for freedom around the world against Russian tyranny.

Yuri Butusov, Facebook