Alarm

ALARM, the Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile, was developed by British industry to give RAF strike aircraft a dedicated suppression-of-enemy-air-defences weapon. It was selected over a British purchase of HARM-class alternatives and became closely associated with Tornado operations. The missile addressed the core SEAD problem: radar operators can shut down emissions to defeat simple homing missiles.

ALARM's distinctive feature was its ability to climb, deploy a parachute, and descend while waiting for enemy radar emissions. If the radar came back on, the missile could restart its attack. This made radar shutdown less safe for defenders and gave strike packages a way to keep pressure on air-defence sites during an attack window.

ALARM served with RAF Tornado aircraft in conflicts where suppression of radar-guided air defences mattered. Its retirement left a distinctive capability gap because few missiles shared its loitering anti-radar attack profile. The weapon remains important as a rare example of a national SEAD missile optimized around tactical radar behaviour.