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| US provides Ukraine With AGM-88 HARM Missiles to Attack Russia |
Moscow - The battle between Russia vs Ukraine is still ongoing. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the end of last February, the conflict between the two is still going on. So far, there are no signs that the conflict will end between Russia and Ukraine. Various high-end weapons or defense equipment were used by Russia in attacking Ukraine.
Not wanting Ukraine to lose to Russia, the US and the Western world have provided Ukraine with a variety of solid weapons. In mid-August, the US supplied Ukraine with AGM-88 HARM missiles. According to The Eurasian Times, the missile was used by Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft.
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"These missiles actually showed zero effectiveness within the framework of the hostilities in Ukraine, most of them were shot down by the Russian anti-aircraft missile system, other parts were suppressed or removed through the electronic protection of the air defense system," he explained.
The source noted that the low efficiency of the HARM missile is due to its mediocre maximum speed. Namely a little over 600 meters per second (1342 miles per hour), and high visibility.
According to the source, Ukrainian aviation used these missiles remotely to avoid destroying the aircraft, which allows the Russian military to detect the missiles long before they approach the area where Russian air defense systems are located.
At the same time, the source added that the HARM missile creates certain difficulties in a time-coordinated joint strike. This is because air defense systems are automatically directed at them as a priority threat. "However, Ukrainian forces have not been able to hit any of the radars of Russian air defense systems, as well as illumination and engagement radars in the area of special military operations with HARM missiles," the source said.
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The HARM missile was adopted by the US air force in 1983. The missile's maximum speed is stated at 2,280 kilometers per hour or 630 meters per second. While the launch range is up to 100 kilometers when used from a height.
In comparison, the maximum speeds of Russia's AS-17 Krypton and AS-11 Kilter anti-radar missiles exceed 1,000 and 1,100 meters per second, respectively. And the launch range is more than 200 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to push the US to provide it with Patriot air defense systems and F-16 fighter jets behind the scenes despite ending public calls for such weapons. The US and Ukraine are in talks about what weapons the US can provide to assist Ukrainian forces amid Russia's special military operations. These include Patriot systems, F-18 jets and Gray Eagle drones, the report said.
Ukrainian adviser Volodymyr Zelenskyy has led a campaign to quell Kiev's calls for air defense systems and fighter jets. The Biden administration is pushing Ukraine to focus more on its urgent need for their ongoing counterattack, the report said.
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The relative scarcity of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems makes it difficult to provide them to Ukraine. The Pentagon is also concerned about the challenges the maintenance needs of the F-16 complex could pose to Ukraine. However, US officials continue to discuss whether to send Patriots to Ukraine in the long term, the report said.
Complex systems such as F-16 jets are likely to be delivered once the conflict is over, the report added, citing congressional staff familiar with the talks. The Biden administration has provided about $15.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since taking office, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), ammunition, armored vehicles, drones and other military equipment.
"The US AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) anti-radar missile showed zero effectiveness in Ukraine, as most of it was shot down in the air," a source told Sputnik on Saturday, quoted by The Eurasian Times.