Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:14:02-1:21:10

European anti-radiation missile capability after ALARM

European air forces have fielded anti-radar weapons, but retirement, classified seeker modes, and successor programmes make the current inventory less visible than a simple missile list suggests.

AGM-88 HARMALARM MissileAnti Radiation MissilesFrench Air ForceMartel MissileRoyal Air ForceSPEAR 3Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses
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Question

Why do more European air forces not acquire anti-radiation missiles, especially the RAF and French Air Force?

Short answer

They have operated such weapons, but older systems were retired and successor or dual-use capabilities are not always obvious from public inventories.

Notes

The premise that European air forces lack anti-radiation weapons is partly mistaken. Britain and France previously used Martel-family weapons, while the RAF's ALARM left service in 2013 and continued abroad with Saudi Arabia. AGM-88 HARM became the more widely adopted system and its use from Ukrainian aircraft illustrates how a self-contained radar seeker can be integrated onto an unexpected platform. Modern weapons must remember an emitter's position after the radar shuts down, and exact backup seeker modes may not be publicly advertised. SPEAR 3 is identified as the intended British successor for the specialist suppression role, although several detailed capability claims remain uncertain.