April 29, 200817 yr Drool ... From Flight International DATE: 28/04/08 SOURCE: Flightglobal.com Raytheon lifts veil on ramjet-powered HARM By Stephen Trimble Raytheon today unveiled a new concept for revolutionizing the accuracy, range, speed and perhaps even the mission of the quarter-century-old AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile (HARM). The concept replaces the AGM-88’s dual-thrust rocket motor with a dramatically more powerful ramjet engine. Guidance is also upgraded with satellite-based navigation, fiber-optic gyroscopes and new software. The new weapon could boost Raytheon’s competitive fortunes against a US Navy-sponsored upgrade: the Alliant Techsystems AGM-88E advanced anti-radiation guidance missile (AARGM). The improvements may also help the US Air Force cope with the increasing sophistication and range of integrated air defence systems, as well as attack time critical targets with an ultra-high-speed, precision-guided missile. Raytheon has set a high bar for success on the project. The company’s goal is to design the 25.4cm (10in)- diameter missile to fit inside the internal weapons bay of any strike aircraft in the US Air Force fleet, as well as an on any outboard stations, says Jeff Wadsworth, Raytheon’s programme director for HARM. Integrating the ramjet removes the mid-body wings of the missile and adds a tail-kit that includes a narrower set of four control fins. “The tail is not nearly as large as the mid-body wings and we believe that let’s us carry it internally in new US aircraft that have internal weapons bays,” Wadsworth said.
April 29, 200817 yr “The tail is not nearly as large as the mid-body wings and we believe that let’s us carry it internally in new US aircraft that have internal weapons bays,” Wadsworth said. He appears to be suggestive of a future wild-weasel mission for the F-22's. . . . wonder if they could bring the old F-117's out of retirement for that like they did the F-4 airframe for Gulf War I.
April 29, 200817 yr Author He appears to be suggestive of a future wild-weasel mission for the F-22's. . . . Yep, the F-22 and JSF. wonder if they could bring the old F-117's out of retirement for that like they did the F-4 airframe for Gulf War I. The problem with the F-117 in a SEAD/DEAD role is its relatively small, split internal weapons bay with single hardpoints, limiting it to just two of anything, iirc. That and the relatively poor kinematic energy it would be able to impart to the missile.
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