SEAD aircraft and anti-radiation weapons

[pyro-manic]

Given that some very advanced, long-range SAM systems are coming into service (eg the Russian SA-21), what developments in anti-radar weapons are possible or likely to occur in order to counter this increased threat?

One idea I had was to have a "first wave" SEAD weapon, that can take on the brunt of the SAMs without loss of valuable pilots. My idea was basically to give an ALARM-type missile a multiple attack capability: A large missile that flies at high altitude on a pre-programmed course, waiting to be locked up by the SAM radars. When the radar sites have been located (either by on-board equipment, or data-linked from other assets), the missile releases sub-munitions (small glide bombs) that fly to the radar and destroy it. This missile is launched ahead of strike aircraft, both to attack air defences and to provide distractions for the strikers.

Is this plausible? My thinking was that this would be a good alternative to extremely expensive stealthy attack aircraft, and preferable to putting SEAD pilots at great risk (I imagine current "Wild Weasels" flying F-16s or Tornadoes and using ALARMs/HARMs would suffer heavy losses against the SA-21). The missile would be larger than current anti-radar missiles, but not so huge as to be impractical.

[Sauragnmon]

That's a pretty interesting thought, Pyro.  I'm planning, for my Su-27I, to have an AS-6 ARM hanging in the tunnel.  The concept I had is that it flies INS into the target area and then the Passive Radar head kicks in, finding the strongest signal and engaging with prejudice.  Alternately, one could consider bringing back the Standard ARM into service and giving it a range boost like the SeekBat had, or air-prep a Standard ER, with an INS/ARM guidance package on it possibly.

Phoenix ARM anybody?

[rallymodeller]

The mission you are describing sounds perfect for a UAV, like a Predator with Hellfires modified as ARMs.

The AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow was designed as a long-loiter ARM back in the Eighties but was never deployed. It looks sort of like half-scale Tomahawk but was a one-shot one-kill missile. I suppose that flights of them could have been sent out, and a B-52 could carry up to 36 of them...

[Shasper]

A re-rolled CALCM or JSOW could easily do the job, just add a few SDBs fitted with passive radar seekers & you're set.

Shas