Article Posted on : - Aug 25, 2014

The HARM is an air-to-surface missile designed to seek and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defence systems. A US Air Force photo

TUCSON (BNS): The US Air Force has conducted a successful test firing of an upgraded high-speed anti-radiation missile (HARM) system built by Raytheon.

The high-speed air-to-surface tactical missile was test fired from the USAF's F-16 fighter aircraft against an emitter located outside of a zone of exclusion, which contained a similar radiating emitter.

The upgraded missile, using its new global positioning system (GPS)/inertial measurement unit (IMU) capability, successfully impacted the correct target.

Another test of the modified missile is needed to determine if it is ready for deployment to the US Air Force, Raytheon said.

The Air Force awarded Raytheon the HARM Control Section Modification (HCSM) contract in 2012. The missile was recently cleared for full rate production.

The HARM is designed to seek and destroy enemy radar-equipped air defence systems, including surface-to-air missile radars, early warning radars, and radar-directed air defence artillery systems.

It is employed on a variety of Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft including the EA-6B, F-16 and F/A-18.