The U.S. Navy recently announced its first live-fire test of the new AGM-88G
Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range or AARGM-ER.
A Naval Air Systems Command press release states that the missile was launched from
a F/A-18F Super Hornet and met all of the objectives set for this test.
The drill was conducted using a telemetry round, without a warhead.
As per reports, The test took place on July 19,
2021 off the coast of the Point Mugu Sea Test Range.
Captain A.C. “Count” Dutko, Navy Program Manager for Direct Time Sensitive Strike (PMA-242) stated,
“The AARGM-ER was successfully launched from the F/A-18 aircraft and met the key test objectives
of a first missile live-fire event. The government and industry team had great
focus and was able to conduct this test event three months earlier than originally envisioned"
Northrop Grumman, the main contractor for the AGM-88G,
stated that the live-fire test took place 3 months earlier than expected
and demonstrated the “long-range capability of the new missile design.”
In this video Defense Updates analyses how AARGM-ER missile of the U.S military
would neutralize enemy's air defense systems ? Let's get started.
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Air superiority is the key to modern warfare. US military is by far the most well-equipped one
in the world when it comes to ruling the skies. It has the best aircraft, very well-trained pilots
and many bases as well as launch platforms including more than 10 aircraft carriers.
To counter this, near-peer rivals of the U.S like Russia & China have deployed
sophisticated air defense systems as part of the Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2AD) strategy.
Russia has deployed S-300, S-400 and is in the process of
operationalizing S-500. China has HQ-9 SAM.
Even second-class powers like Iran have developed
indigenous air defense systems that have decent capabilities.
For reference, Iran has operationalized Khordad 15 claimed to be indigenously developed.
These weapons could inflict a huge amount of damage to the U.S military's aerial assets
like fighters, bombers, aerial tankers and Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.
ARM or Anti Radiation Missile is seen as a counter to advance air defense systems
This kind of missile is designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source.
Typically, these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers
and even radios used for communications can also be targeted in this manner.
This type of missile is commonly carried by specialist aircraft in the
Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role The primary purpose of this type of missile
is to degrade enemy air defenses in the first period of a conflict in order to increase the
chances of survival for the following waves of strike aircraft. They can also be used
to quickly shut down unexpected surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites during an ongoing air raid.
Radars are like eyes of the air defense and once it is taken out, it becomes severely handicapped.
Often, SEAD escort aircraft also carry cluster bombs, which can be used to ensure that,
after the ARM disables the SAM system's radar, the command post, missile launchers, and other
components or equipment are also destroyed to guarantee that the SAM site stays down.
AARGM is an air-launched weapon intended to destroy enemy air defense systems
It offers improved capabilities over the HARM or High Speed Anti Radiation Missile system
it replaces.
The AARGM features new software and enhanced capabilities to counter
jamming through Electronic Warfare. Previous versions of the missile could be dodged by
turning off the radar before the weapon could lock on to their signals.
AARGM contains a multi-mode guidance package containing a GPS-assisted
inertial navigation system, as well as a millimeter-wave radar that can locate targets
even if they stop emitting radio frequency or other signals or even begin to move.
AARGM-ER is an Extended-Range version of the current AARGM weapon.
AARGM-ER uses the same sensors, electronics, and warheads as its predecessor,
the AARGM. However, differences include a larger rocket engine and tail upgrades
to extend its range and improve its maneuverability. The missile also has
its mid-body wings removed and replaced with a short strake along its length.
AARGM has a range of 150 km or 92 miles whereas AARGM-ER will have
a range of 300 km or around 185 miles. The missile can also relay data in its
final moments to confirm whether or not it successfully hit its intended target.
The AARGM-ER is currently being integrated on the U.S Navy’s F/A-18E/F and EA-18G
aircraft, and eventually be integrated with F-35's internal weapons carriage.
The long-range will enable the AARGM-ER to be launched from a stand-off distance
meaning it should be able to out-range an adversary’s air defense missiles.
Importantly the missile has the capability to network with sources
other than the launching platform. This means launching aircraft can
fire the weapon without even acquiring a target’s emissions
and use data from other platforms to take on an enemy asset.
The features of the missile make it highly suitable
and precise for engaging rivals air defenses from standoff ranges.