Questarian New Yorkshire wrote:Essay competition 1:
Discuss the utility of the IAI Harpy 1 and 2 drone-attack SEAD systems on countries which aren't third world.
Could Harpy 1 and 2, or an analagous system (if choosing an analagous system explain the differences) be used effectively to degrade battlefield tier (ie anti-helicopter) air defence systems employed and manned by NATO, Russia, China, to the extent that attack helicopters or other attack aviation like drones and low-flying aircraft could cause significant damage?
1. Though they haven't gotten much use there is good reason to believe anti-radiation drones are a sound concept. ARM seekers self-evidently work well and short-range AA has not proven very effective against small UAVs, with a high rate of leaks.
2. Helicopters are rarely shot down by radar-guided weapons. A helicopter popping up from behind trees or a ridgeline is a fairly serious threat to most AD radars. Especially if it has ARMs. Recognizing a hovering helicopter as a valid target is impossible for many radars and slow/unreliable for ones which can because the main characteristic radar uses to separate clutter and targets, motion of the aircraft, is absent.
AD weapons that don't rely on search radar remain a serious problem for low altitude penetration though because there is no reliable way to detect or interfere with them prior to them engaging. A laser beam rider missile like the RBS-70 isn't susceptible to any existing countermeasure at all.