Missile AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow

The AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow was an experimental standoff anti-radiation missile developed by the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was designed to suppress or destroy enemy air defense radars from long distance.

The key feature of Tacit Rainbow was its loitering capability. After launch from an aircraft like the F-15E, it could hold well outside enemy radar range for up to 8 hours before attacking a designated target. This allowed selectively engaging opportune threats versus pre-programmed targets.

Using passive sensors, the Tacit Rainbow could autonomously detect and identify enemy radar emissions, determine priority targets, and attack them without guidance from the launch platform. This provided a highly autonomous Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) capability not seen in earlier anti-radiation missiles.

Despite successful testing and demonstrating leading-edge SEAD technology, the Tacit Rainbow did not enter active service. Only a small number were produced before the program ended in 1991. But its loitering SEAD concept helped pave the way for future standoff missiles and targeting pods with similar capabilities.