Direct proof of use
The AGM-88 HARM is directly documented in the 2003 Iraq War through U.S. Air Force F-16CJ Wild Weasel operations. Misawa Air Base's 35th Fighter Wing history says the 14th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flew the first non-stealth missions over Baghdad on March 21, 2003 and fired the first AGM-88 HARM of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The same wing history records that the squadron logged 238 sorties and 1,336 flying hours during the deployment, mainly in suppression and destruction of enemy air-defense missions, and employed AGM-88 HARM missiles among its air-to-ground ordnance.
A separate March 24, 2003 incident documents a HARM launch in combat conditions against a coalition Patriot radar. Associated Press reporting attributed to U.S. Central Command said a Patriot battery locked on to an American F-16 about 30 miles south of Najaf and that the F-16 fired an AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile at the battery, damaging its radar without U.S. casualties.
Sources: Misawa History OIF HARM, 35th Fighter Wing History, F-16 Disables Patriot Radar in Iraq
Timeline
On March 20, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom began. On March 21, the 14th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flew the first non-stealth missions over Baghdad and fired the first AGM-88 HARM of the operation. During the remainder of the deployment, the 14th EFS used its air-to-ground ordnance inventory, including AGM-88 HARM missiles, while flying primarily SEAD and DEAD missions.
On March 24, a U.S. Air Force F-16 engaged a Patriot battery radar after the Patriot system locked on to the aircraft near Najaf. The reported HARM launch disabled the radar and became one of the early-war friendly-fire episodes associated with Patriot air-defense operations.
Sources: 35th Fighter Wing History, Misawa History OIF HARM, F-16 Disables Patriot Radar in Iraq
Narrative
In the opening phase of the 2003 Iraq War, AGM-88 HARM missiles were part of the U.S. Air Force Wild Weasel package used to pressure Iraqi radar-guided air defenses. The documented operator in these sources was the United States, and the clearest unit-level evidence comes from the 14th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, whose F-16CJ lineage and deployment history placed HARM employment inside the SEAD and DEAD mission set.
The available record separates two kinds of supported use. One is intended counter-air-defense employment: the 14th EFS fired the first HARM of Operation Iraqi Freedom and later employed AGM-88 missiles during a deployment centered on suppressing and destroying enemy air defenses. The other is a fratricide incident: on March 24, an F-16 used a radar-seeking missile against a Patriot battery radar that had locked on to the aircraft. That incident shows the weapon's radar-homing role but does not support treating the Patriot battery as an Iraqi target.
Sources: Misawa History OIF HARM, 35th Fighter Wing History, F-16 Disables Patriot Radar in Iraq, AGM-88 HARM Fact Sheet
