UK retires ALARM missile

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the final retirement of the Air-Launched Anti-Radiation Missile (ALARM), a move which leaves the Royal Air Force (RAF) without a dedicated defence suppression weapon.

Developed by what was British Aerospace Dynamics - later subsumed into MBDA - ALARM was developed under Air Staff Requirement 1228 to provide RAF Tornados with a defence suppression capability. Completing development trials in October 1990, the missile made its operational debut in the 1991 Gulf War, with more than 120 missiles fired as part of Operation 'Granby'.

ALARM was subsequently used in support of NATO's Operation 'Allied Force' over Serbia and Kosovo in 1999.

Read more