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Raytheon-USAF tests HARM missile upgrade

Raytheon  and the U.S. Air Force have completed the latest in a series of successful flight tests for the HARM Control Section Modificat...


Raytheon  and the U.S. Air Force have completed the latest in a series of successful flight tests for the HARM Control Section Modification (HCSM).

An upgrade to existing HARM missiles, HCSM dramatically increases effectiveness against even the most modern enemy radar while reducing the possibility of collateral damage.

During the test mission, an F-16 aircraft fired an HCSM AGM-88F against an emitter located outside a pre-planned zone of exclusion. A similar radiating emitter within the ZOE attempted to confuse the HCSM so it would engage the decoy target.

Using its new GPS/inertial measurement unit (IMU) capability, HCSM successfully impacted the correct target.

The U.S. Air Force will make a fielding decision once the test series is complete, and declare the new HCSM capability operational. The Air Force awarded Raytheon the HCSM contract in 2012. The missile was recently cleared for full-rate production.

The AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a key battlefield element to suppress or destroy surface-to-air missile radars, early warning radars and radar-directed air defense artillery systems. HARMs have made hostile airspaces worldwide safer for U.S. and allied warfighters for more than three decades. The missile resides in the inventories of eight countries.