the fallacy of HARM missiles

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: Coraanu
I'd much rather spend $284k than lose pilots and aircraft. Not sure how much the SAM or AA emitters cost, though.

You've hit the nail on the head. The Air Force values active duty fighter pilots somewhere in the neighborhood of $1m. Training, benefits, etc. Most of them are piloting $30m+ aircraft, and are probably carrying an extra mil or so in armament.

$300k to keep that safe is a bargain.

 

[dkozloski]

HARM is but a small item in the bag of tricks. Number one is stealth. The other guys don't have a clue we're on the way. They're first notice is when the smart bombs hit the outhouse. A new part of the mix is conventional warheads on ICBMs. It doesn't matter if they know it's coming or not. All they can do is stand there and soil their pants until it arrives. Ground based air defense is not a pretty picture these days. What you people need to realize is that the primary weapon of air defense is airborne intercept. If you're out there firing SAM missiles you've already been overwhelmed and defeated and are just trying to survive.

 

[FasterCPU]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: Yeormom

Originally posted by: Coraanu
HARM's are only $284k according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-88.

284k seems kinda low for the cost of a HARM considering a SRAW runs 200k according to "contractors" so that makes me question whether 284k is what we pay for the box they ship it in...

That's the production cost, if you included development cost, it's a little more.

Text

Additional links related to the HARM missile:

1. HARM University
http://www.nawcwpns.navy.mil/harm/index.htm

2. US Navy Fact Sheet: AGM-88 HARM Missile -- $284,000 each (Year 2000 figure)
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2200&tid=300&ct=2

3. AGM-88C HARM
https://wrc.navair-rdte.navy.mil/warfighter_enc/weapons/airlanch/harm.htm

4. HARM: AGM-88 HARM
http://www.guam.navy.mil/NAWMU-1/harm.htm

5. Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile
(HARM upgrade, PMA-242 Direct & Time Sensitive Strike Program)
http://www.strikenet.js.mil/pma242/adrgm.htm

6. Cracks In The Net: Foes of the West look for chinks in its technological armor
http://www.oft.osd.mil/library/library_files/article_220_Aviation%20Week.doc


Flare decoys being fired by two USMC KC-130 Hercules aircraft in Iraq: video (http://www.archive.org/details/Herc_Salvo2) and photos (http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051111.htm). Via http://30000feet.blogspot.com/2006/02/really-good-military-aircraft-photos.html