The U.S. Navy's Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) program continued a string of successful test events with the second guided test vehicle missile firing on 19 December at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Weapons Division China Lake, Calif., test range. The missile successfully identified, tracked, and guided to the simulated air defense radar target, passing within lethal radius of the warhead and impacting within the specified missile impact zone. All test objectives were achieved.

AARGM is an advanced, multi-mode seeker, combining passive anti-radiation homing and active millimeter wave sensors coupled with a GPS-aided inertial navigation system. The seeker is integrated on the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) airframe. AARGM is designed to greatly improve the U.S. Navy's capability to detect, locate and destroy enemy air defenses.

The AARGM test missile was launched from a NAVAIR Weapons Division Test Squadron F/A-18. The specific test objectives accomplished during this test include: interoperability with the aircraft's mission and command launch computers; detection, identification and tracking of the target by the missile's anti-radiation homing subsystem; guidance of the missile to the target via the missile's integrated guidance software; and target search, detection, tracking and data collection by the missile's terminal millimeter wave seeker.

The captive carry and post launch performance demonstrated a significant improvement over current HARM variants to include angle of arrival accuracy. This provides improvements in weapon lethality, and enhances pilot situational awareness and targeting. The demonstrated accuracy of the anti-radiation homing system, in conjunction with the terminal millimeter wave radar, enables AARGM to engage radar targets that employ radar shutdown tactics.

To date, the AARGM ATD has successfully completed four missile shots in the technology demonstration phase. This recent firing also supports test objectives of the Quick Bolt Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) Military Utility Assessment. Quick Bolt augments the AARGM missile by adding direct connectivity with off-board sensors to enhance situational awareness and targeting, and by incorporating a weapon impact assessment transmitter to cue the battle damage assessment process.

Science and Applied Technology, Inc. of San Diego, Calif., is currently under contract to develop the AARGM seeker, and is working in partnership with NAVAIR Weapons Division for the development and demonstration of the Quick Bolt ACTD.

For more information on this and other programs under the cognizance of the Program Executive Office for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation, contact the public affairs office at 301-757-6316 or check out the web site www.strikenet.js.mil