US probably delivered anti-radar missiles to Kyiv - "major threat" to Russian air defense

Created: 08/11/2022, 14:17

By: Felix Durach

A US F/A-18 Super Hornet is equipped with an AGM-88E HARM missile (archive image).

© Riccardo Niccoli/imago-images

The US Department of Defense confirms the delivery of more missiles to Ukraine.

These are said to be AGM-88-HARM anti-radar missiles.

Kyiv – The US is considered one of Ukraine's biggest supporters in the ongoing war against Russia.

Washington is setting a good example when it comes to supplying heavy weapons to the government in Kyiv.

The deployment of Himar-type multiple rocket launchers meant that the Ukrainian armed forces can now effectively engage strategic targets at long range.

As the US Department of Defense recently confirmed, they are currently also examining the delivery of modern fighter jets from the armaments manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Now Kyiv has already received another modern weapon system.

According to information from the US television broadcaster CNN, the US government has delivered AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM) to the Ukrainian military.

The missiles are currently already in use in the war zone.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed Monday (Aug. 8) that "a few" missiles had been delivered, without specifying the exact number, timing of delivery, or type of missiles.

In the past few days, the US Department of Defense has also published new figures on Russian losses in the war.

Ukraine war: anti-radar missiles already in use?

Images are said to show the remains of the HARM missile

In the past few days, images have been circulating on Twitter that are supposed to show the remains of a HARM missile in a destroyed Russian radar system.

However, the authenticity of these images cannot be independently verified.

However, the government in Kyiv has not yet confirmed the delivery of the missiles.

Anti-radar missiles are used in combat to destroy enemy radar installations far behind the front lines.

A target for the missiles in the Ukraine war is likely to be the Russian S-400 air defense systems, which make it difficult for Ukrainian fighter jets to be deployed over enemy territory.

However, the missiles can also be used against Russian artillery reconnaissance radars.

Their task is to uncover the position of Ukrainian artillery.

"Intelligent" HARM missiles in the Ukraine war: Can attack radar stations over 120 kilometers away

The HARM missiles can receive radar emissions from enemy systems and orientate themselves on the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radar systems until they hit the target.

In this way, the missiles can also effectively combat mobile radar systems.

The "intelligent" rockets can therefore correct their course while still in flight in order to hit the target.

If the enemy radar system is disabled after launching a HARM missile, the missile will fly to the radar's last known location.

Another clear advantage of the rockets is the range.

The missiles, manufactured by the US armaments company Raytheon, can target targets up to 150 kilometers away: significantly more than the Himars multiple rocket launchers, whose range – depending on the type of ammunition – is usually just under 80 kilometers.

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Anti-radar missiles in Ukraine: “major threat” to Russian air defenses

Ideally, for the missiles to reach their full potential, they must be launched from the air by a fighter jet.

However, there is also the possibility of launching the missiles from the ground using launch pads.

If the Ukrainian military actually launched the missiles from the air, they would have to have made modifications to the Soviet fighter jets.

These are normally not compatible with the HARM missiles.

Deliveries of NATO aircraft to Ukraine are not yet known.

Armaments expert Tyler Rogoway wrote on specialist portal

: “The AGM-88 could pose a major threat to Russian air defense systems, preventing them from controlling the airspace and thereby preventing Ukraine's ability to deploy air forces where they are most needed will."

Ukraine war: Mystery of explosion on Crimean peninsula - does Kyiv have new weapons?

At the beginning of the week, an explosion on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea also caused a stir.

If the explosion was the result of a Ukrainian attack, then due to the distance, previously unknown weapon systems must have been used here as well.

Moscow cited the self-inflicted detonation of ammunition as the reason for the explosion.

The information cannot be independently verified.