The Ukrainian Air Force released a video where one of its MiG-29 fighters can be seen firing a pair of U.S. AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles.
One of the 🇺🇦 pilots has made a footage of the MiG-29 fighter jets combat operations.
🇺🇦 pilot Ivan dedicates this video to major Yevhen Lysenko, his fallen brother in arms, who heroically died in an aerial fight against the 🇷🇺 invaders on March 9. pic.twitter.com/eUVYIAboDr
— Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) August 30, 2022
Yesterday a video emerged confirming that the Ukrainian Air Force is attacking Russian air defense facilities with AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles) missiles supplied by the USA.
Rumors of the presence of these missiles in the Ukrainian theater of operations began to surface earlier this month, when photos of remnants of AGM-88 missiles fired at Russian positions were posted on the social networks.
Russian channels have posted images of what appear to be the remains of an AGM-88 HARM antiradiation missile. A fragment of the HARM’s BSU-60A/B stabilization fin can be seen in the wreckage.
The missile was reportedly fired at a Russian position. pic.twitter.com/GCNA55CJdj
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 7, 2022
The rumor was later confirmed by U.S. officials, who admitted that the U.S. had supplied these weapons and that Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft had been modified to be able to deliver them.
HARM integration appears to have taken place on MiG-29MU1s, a modernization standard developed by the Lviv aircraft repair plant, which improves radar capabilities, incorporates Garmin navigation equipment and introduces NATO/NATO-compatible radio equipment.
It is logical to assume that during modernization work to the new standard, Ukrainian technicians were assisted by their Western counterparts in providing these MiG-29s with some suppression of air defenses (SEAD) capability, based on the integration of AGM-88 HARMs.
#Ukraine: A rare look at a very clean Ukrainian MiG-29(MU1) jet fighter with very clear imagery of the standard UkrAF A2A loadout, which is used against both RuAF jets and cruise missiles.
We can see 4x R-73 and 2x R-27R AAMs, along with a centreline tank for improved range. pic.twitter.com/8NlYDirDZn
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) August 7, 2022
It is not possible to say much less about the mode of use or models of the HARMs launched from the video. This is probably the simplest and most straightforward form of integration and operation possible, given the speed with which work was done to adapt the MiGs to this new capability.
The AGM-88 has several modes of use, one of which is pre-programmed on the ground. Without the need to have certain equipment installed on the launcher aircraft (beyond the modification of the launch pylons), it is possible to enter the coordinates where a certain threat is known to exist and, once in flight and close to the target, launch the missiles towards that area, where the passive seeker head will try to find the programmed targets in order to destroy them.
See also: F-22, F-35, Gripen and Eurofighter: Ukraine Air Force openly requests for western fighters
Another option is that they have managed to link the HARMs to the MiG-29’s electronic support systems (ESM). Once the aircraft detects that it is being illuminated by enemy radar, it fixes the direction (and perhaps even the coordinates, depending on how modern the ESM equipment is) of the threat and fires the HARM missile in that direction.
These are still ad hoc solutions, which do not turn the MiG-29 into real electronic warfare and air defense suppression aircraft, but would allow them to provide a momentary protective umbrella for friendly attacking aircraft against the threat of Russian air defense systems.
