[dabigv13]

If you scroll up you will see undersecretary of defense Colin Kahl stated the platform was Ukrainian Aircraft. So seems like they must have jury rigged some sort of setup for this.

More on the AGM HARM here-

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/u-...to-ukraine

It is still a bit unclear (no surprise) what was done. The "normal" way of air launching a HARM requires interfaces to the RWR on the host aircraft. The pilot/GIB designates the target on the RWR and the data from the RWR is transferred to the HARM. There is also a pulse coincidence gate that makes sure the target the HARM "sees" is exactly the same one the RWR sees. This is not a trivial interface. It was found necessary to allow the user to to acquire the target using the HARM alone (when the RWR for some reason would not, see ALR-67 ECP-510). This is also not a trivial interface. However, this feature can allow launching the HARM almost autonomously without much input from the host platform.

That may make a kludge possible, but even that wouldn't be easy. It is not just a matter of data bus compatibility. It is also a matter of launch rail compatibility and safety of flight considerations. The AGM-88 is 13.5 feet long and heavy. It can mess up the aircraft aerodynamics in nasty ways. Granted, there is a war on, but it seems like a big effort for Ukraine to undertake. The AGM-88 has not been supplied to any country to operate from Soviet era aircraft. While some Soviet era aircraft have been updated by NATO countries with new avionics, none AFAIK were upgraded to use NATO weapons.

As the article you linked to points out, the announcement said we provided missiles compatible with Ukrainian aircraft. We had some ex-Soviet missiles that fit that bill. The announcement didn't say we provided AGM-88s that are compatible with Ukrainian aircraft, so there is still a bit of a mystery what is happening.

If Ukraine can actually launch AGM-88 from aircraft, that is a very important capability. To take back Kherson, it is probably going to require tactical air support. Ukraine has been doing some of this anyway, but it would be lots easier if Russian radars had to shut down for fear of destruction. If Ukraine has the C model AGM-88, they can also take out communications jammers. Hopefully we will get more definite info on this as their success unfolds!

I am certainly no expert, but we've seen plenty of videos of Russian pilots flying with various tablets or GPS systems attached to the cockpit. We've seen both sides use munitions in unusual ways, such as the strange helicopter (small) unguided missile barrage.

I think it's plausible that Ukraine might be firing off HARM missiles without coordinates but in a seeker mode looking for radar sites. Maybe suboptimal but still effective at suppression. Or they could have somehow got some tablet running a NATO software and jury rigged it to put in coordinates.

Ukraine has indigenously upgraded at least one MIG 29 to have guided ground attack capability with some limited SEAD ability before the war. This example at least could use some of the Soviet ARM missiles as well, should they have been provided. Perhaps some Ukrainian engineers working with NATO advisors over the past few months have brought about this capability in a small number of the Ukrainian ground attack planes.

We saw wreckage of an AGM88, and I think the most parsimonious explanation is that's what we provided and Ukraine is using their planes to fire them. Now which type(s) is what I wonder.

[dabigv13]

If you scroll up you will see undersecretary of defense Colin Kahl stated the platform was Ukrainian Aircraft. So seems like they must have jury rigged some sort of setup for this.

More on the AGM HARM here-

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/u-...to-ukraine

It is still a bit unclear (no surprise) what was done. The "normal" way of air launching a HARM requires interfaces to the RWR on the host aircraft. The pilot/GIB designates the target on the RWR and the data from the RWR is transferred to the HARM. There is also a pulse coincidence gate that makes sure the target the HARM "sees" is exactly the same one the RWR sees. This is not a trivial interface. It was found necessary to allow the user to to acquire the target using the HARM alone (when the RWR for some reason would not, see ALR-67 ECP-510). This is also not a trivial interface. However, this feature can allow launching the HARM almost autonomously without much input from the host platform.

That may make a kludge possible, but even that wouldn't be easy. It is not just a matter of data bus compatibility. It is also a matter of launch rail compatibility and safety of flight considerations. The AGM-88 is 13.5 feet long and heavy. It can mess up the aircraft aerodynamics in nasty ways. Granted, there is a war on, but it seems like a big effort for Ukraine to undertake. The AGM-88 has not been supplied to any country to operate from Soviet era aircraft. While some Soviet era aircraft have been updated by NATO countries with new avionics, none AFAIK were upgraded to use NATO weapons.

As the article you linked to points out, the announcement said we provided missiles compatible with Ukrainian aircraft. We had some ex-Soviet missiles that fit that bill. The announcement didn't say we provided AGM-88s that are compatible with Ukrainian aircraft, so there is still a bit of a mystery what is happening.

If Ukraine can actually launch AGM-88 from aircraft, that is a very important capability. To take back Kherson, it is probably going to require tactical air support. Ukraine has been doing some of this anyway, but it would be lots easier if Russian radars had to shut down for fear of destruction. If Ukraine has the C model AGM-88, they can also take out communications jammers. Hopefully we will get more definite info on this as their success unfolds!

I am certainly no expert, but we've seen plenty of videos of Russian pilots flying with various tablets or GPS systems attached to the cockpit. We've seen both sides use munitions in unusual ways, such as the strange helicopter (small) unguided missile barrage.

I think it's plausible that Ukraine might be firing off HARM missiles without coordinates but in a seeker mode looking for radar sites. Maybe suboptimal but still effective at suppression. Or they could have somehow got some tablet running a NATO software and jury rigged it to put in coordinates.

Ukraine has indigenously upgraded at least one MIG 29 to have guided ground attack capability with some limited SEAD ability before the war. This example at least could use some of the Soviet ARM missiles as well, should they have been provided. Perhaps some Ukrainian engineers working with NATO advisors over the past few months have brought about this capability in a small number of the Ukrainian ground attack planes.

We saw wreckage of an AGM88, and I think the most parsimonious explanation is that's what we provided and Ukraine is using their planes to fire them. Now which type(s) is what I wonder.