AGM-88
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- "A medium range anti-radiation missile."
- ― Weapon Description
The AGM-88 HARM is an anti-radiation missile, designed to destroy hostile SAM Radars at medium to high ranges.
This missile is available to the F/A-26B, T-55 and EF-24G. It uses the aircraft's ARAD systems to target radar sources from afar for long-range engagement. Though they can hit targets from far away, their speed tends to decrease with range, leaving them somewhat vulnerable to interception by SAM Launchers or AAA defenses.
The AGM-88 is an anti-radiation missile, so when fired, "Magnum" is announced by the pilot. The missile has a simple direct attack geometry, as opposed to the top-down attack of its cousin, the AGM-188.
Usage
The philosophy of use for this missile is typically as a stand-off weapon to target hostile long-range SAM radars outside or just within their targeting envelope. Thanks to the AGM-88’s high speed, the missile can be effectively utilized as a quick-attack weapon, exploiting the long reaction times and slow interception capabilities of some SAM systems.
The fire-and-forget capability of the missile allows the pilot to fire at multiple emitting sources before ducking back into cover to avoid any further retaliation from hostile air defenses.
The AGM-88 is effective against long-range naval SAM systems, allowing the user to disable the targets' radar from long range and sink the ship with other munitions.
It should also be noted that, when fired over longer ranges, the AGM-88's time of flight can be significantly longer in comparison to other missiles. Pilots need to be vigilant to stay outside the target's radar envelope as much as possible to avoid an engagement until the AGM-88 has had enough time to impact the radar.
Deployment
- Enable the Master Arm switch.
- Open the ARAD page and set it to SOI.
- Select the AGM-88 as your current weapon.
- While holding the flight stick, use the thumb stick to slew the TAC over the desired radar contact. Push in the thumb stick to lock the target.
- Position your target within the lock-on cone displayed on the ARAD screen.
- Once in range, the Range Launch Authorization Lights will come on and the aircraft's Voice Warning System will announce: "Shoot!" Pull the trigger to fire the missile.
Variants
- 1x AGM-88:
- Cost: $5000
- Weight: 416 kg
AGM-88S
This variant is available only to the F-45A and EF-24G. It is a smaller version of the AGM-88 with more narrow stabilizers and a shorter engine burn time.
Gallery
An F/A-26B launching an AGM-88 at a distant radar site.
