ALARM

ALARM (Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile) is a British anti-radiation missile designed primarily to destroy enemy radars for the purpose of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). It was used by the RAF and is still used by the Royal Saudi Air Force.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The weapon was retired by the UK at the end of 2013.<ref name=janes>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

The Ministry of Defence received offers for a new anti-radiation missile in late 1982; British Aerospace Dynamics offered ALARM while Texas Instruments teamed with Lucas Aerospace offered its HARM missile.<ref name="ftbidding">Template:Cite news</ref> Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine announced the selection of ALARM on 29 July 1983. The initial order was 750 missiles for the RAF.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The selection process was controversial; the battle between the contractors was bitter, the Ministry of Defence favoured ALARM to retain UK industrial capabilities while the Treasury favoured the cheaper and proven HARM.<ref name="ftbidding"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In early 1986, BAe recognised that Royal Ordnance was having difficulties delivering the missile's motor, named Nuthatch, and began to consider alternatives. Royal Ordnance's solution to the required burn-loiter-burn characteristic of the engine was complex.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In July 1987, BAe, by then the owner of Royal Ordnance, replaced the Nuthatch motor with a lower risk motor designed by Bayern-Chemie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> BAe's £200 million contract for the missile was renegotiated with the price increased to £400 million and delivery pushed back from 1988 to 1990.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The radar seeker was made by Marconi Space and Defence Systems (GEC) at Stanmore.<ref>Flight International 1990</ref>

The ALARM missile was officially retired by the UK at the end of 2013,<ref name=janes/> but continued to be used by the Saudis.<ref>UK-Supplied Precision Weapons Prove Popular in Saudi-Led Yemen Campaign - Defensenews.com, 17 October 2016</ref>

Features

ALARM is a fire-and-forget system, with an added loiter capability. In loiter mode, ALARM will, when launched, climb to an altitude of Template:Convert. If the target radar shuts down, the missile will deploy a parachute and descend slowly until the radar lights up. The missile will then fire a secondary motor to attack the target.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Combat use

ALARM has been used in the following conflicts:

• 1991 Gulf War (Operation Granby), during which 121 missiles were used.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Kosovo War (Operation Allied Force), during which 6 missiles were used.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2003 invasion of Iraq (Operation Telic), during which 47 missiles were used.<ref name=ArmedForces2014>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 2011 Libya (Operation Ellamy).<ref name=ArmedForces2014 />
• 2015 Yemen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Operators

File:ALARM operators.png

Map with ALARM operators in blue

Current operators

Template:SAU

• Royal Saudi Air Force

Former operators

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• Royal Air Force

Specifications

• Primary Function: Suppression of Enemy Air Defence
• Contractor: MBDA
• Power Plant: Bayern Chemie two stage solid propellant rocket motors
• Length: 4.24 m
• Diameter: 23 cm
• Wing Span: 73 cm
• Launch Weight: 268 kg
• Speed: 2455 km/h (supersonic)
• Warhead: Proximity fused high-explosive
• Range: 93 km
• Fuse: Laser Proximity
• Guidance system: Pre-programmed/passive radar seeker
• Unit Cost: undisclosed
• Date Deployed: 1990
• User: UK (RAF)
  • Tornado GR.4
  • Tornado F3: fitted in time for 2003 Gulf War, receiving designation Tornado EF3
  • Weapon has been "fit checked" on other RAF aircraft, such as the Jaguar. Due to its relatively large weight it is not suited to the entire RAF fleet.
  • Also was expected to be usable on the Eurofighter Typhoon, but this requirement was deleted.<ref>Major Projects Report 2008, page 149(155) Template:Webarchive. UK Ministry of Defence, 2008.</ref>

See also

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External links

• RAF: ALARM description
• Bayern-Chemie—Development and production of a rocket motor used by ALARM. More than 1,200 produced
• Matra-BAe Dynamics ALARM at Eurofighter Typhoon—a brief history of ALARM
• RAF Weapons at armedforces.co.uk