One of the mysteries about the Ukraine conflict has been how Ukrainian MiG-29 jets have been able to launch U.S. AGM-88 HARM missiles. It’s not just a question of hanging them under the wings; they have to be integrated into the plane’s avionics (aviation electronics).

There was speculation that some kind of ground launch capability had been developed to explain it. The story has been seeping out, and it’s a look into matters that normally don’t get a lot of exposure. 

According to a report at Military aircraft on FaceBook, it’s because the U.S. got some MiG-29s to study. (Take this with a grain of salt, because it’s the kind of information that the military does not like to make available because it can reveal capabilities better left unknown to adversaries. This seems like a plausible scenario though.)

It has now been revealed that the Ukrainian Air Force managed to integrate the AGM-88 HARM onto their Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-29 Fulcrum's with the help of technicians from Raytheon. Raytheon is the American company that manufactures the AGM-88 HARM.

... The Americans had prior experience with the Mig-29 Fulcrum and deep technical knowledge of the aircraft that helped them to develop a way to integrate the AGM-88 HARM onto it within a short time and with apparently little effort.

The AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) is a tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system. Production was later taken over by Raytheon Corporation when it purchased the defense production business of Texas Instruments.

The idea is straightforward. For a radar system to actively target something, it has to emit radar signals to ‘light it up’. The AGM-88 missile can ‘see’ those emissions and home in on them to take out the transmitter. Modern air defenses can be deadly, one reason why there is so much interest in stealth aircraft, over the horizon engagement, and countermeasures like HARM missiles.

Note: It’s important to exercise control over target selection, as this anecdote from wikipedia relates:

During the Gulf War, the HARM was involved in a friendly fire incident when the pilot of an F-4G Wild Weasel escorting a B-52G bomber mistook the latter's tail gun radar for an Iraqi AAA site — this was after the tail gunner of the B-52 had targeted the F-4G, mistaking it for an Iraqi MiG. The F-4 pilot launched the missile and then saw that the target was the B-52, which was hit. It survived with shrapnel damage to the tail and no casualties. The B-52 (serial number 58-0248) was subsequently renamed In HARM's Way. [5]

Maxim 5 Close air support and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart.

Maxim 26. "Fire and Forget" is fine, provided you never actually forget.

There are techniques for radar systems to avoid being taken out by an AGM-88, but at best they degrade the ability of the system to function and at worst make it unusable; the simplest defense is to turn off the radar transmitter and go ‘dark’.

Here’s a video about the AGM-88 from way back in the past, judging by the aircraft shown with it.

It’s not just about taking out air defense radars; at least one article suggests it can be used against artillery counter-battery radars that track incoming rounds and use the info to target the artillery firing them.

So why is it a big deal to integrate this system into an aircraft like the MiG-29 and not simply supply Ukraine with more modern aircraft from the West that can already use this and other weapons systems?

One is that Ukraine has MiG-29s, and knows how to use them. Another is that Russia has not been able to achieve air superiority, so bolstering the Ukraine air forces is practical. Ukraine’s success to date is likely to be rewarded with more aid. Being able to take out Russian air defense systems gives Ukraine more options when it comes to making use of their air assets — including helicopters and drones. 

Stefano D’Urso at The Aviantionist discusses some of the considerations that were brought up at an August 19 Pentagon briefing.

During the question time, the topic of aircraft delivery to Ukraine came up again, with also an explanation for the AGM-88’s delivery. Rumors about the possible delivery of A-10s, F-16s or F-15s were pretty common few months ago, later followed by a rumor about Ukrainian pilots being trained on the F-16. All of them have been pretty much debunked, and a good reason has been provided in the briefing.

“In the current, our focus has been on capabilities that we can get them quickly, that they can use in the current fight in now east and south Ukraine”, said the official. “So, in terms of aviation, we’ve focused on how we can enhance their existing aircraft fleet. That’s where the HARM missiles come into play, giving them that additional advantage.”

As you may imagine, providing Western fighters to Ukraine is a lengthy process, with lots of training involved that could make it even longer. Just consider, for example, the F-16 B-Course which is a 37-week long course. On average, B-Course students log 70 hours of flying time over 59 sorties in addition to roughly 245 hours of academic training and 69 hours of flight simulator training.

The Aviationist article speculates on just how the integration is being carried out.

No details have been provided about how the missile was integrated on the MiG-29. As we already mentioned in a previous article, integrating the missile on the MiG-29 doesn’t simply mean strapping a LAU-118A launcher and the AGM-88 missile to the MiG’s pylons, there is a lot more work that needs to be done to integrate them in the avionics and electrical systems. Also, another problem is how the Fulcrum’s pilots will perform the targeting of the missile, which usually happens through a Multi-Function Display that cannot be found in the MiG-29’s fully analogic cockpit.

Some analysts are suggesting a solution which involves a simple tablet linked to the missile to perform the targeting, possibly through the HARM in sensor mode. As the name suggests, the missile’s sensor provides the pilot with a list of emitters that are being detected, from which one is then selected for the missile about to be launched. Another mode could be the Pre-Briefed mode, however it does not seem very practical in a quickly evolving battlefield as the position of the enemy radar is programmed on the ground and cannot be changed anymore by the pilot once the aircraft takes off.

However it is being managed, it’s yet one more way Russia is discovering that invading Ukraine is proving to be a serious mistake.

Maxim 47. Don't expect the enemy to cooperate in the creation of your dream engagement.