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From what I read the HARM (and all anti radiation missiles) wasnt particularly good at tracking a moving target. Especially another aircraft closing in fast that is manuverable.

As for IR missile options beyond the Sidewinder the US never really invested in any longer range IR missiles like the Soviets did as part of their overall effort to go big in IRST (which didn't seem to pan out all that well to my knowledge).

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I think it did, if not otherwise because modern jets simply have stopped relying on their own radars, making long range IRST more important.

I have never read this. I always think of radar as a flashlight, because it's essentially what it is, except with electrons instead of photons.

When you have car coming from the opposite direction, with its high beams on, you can see it really, really well, even if you keep your lights off (passive HARM).

The difference is the challenge of imaging those wavelengths. You cannot just use a glass lens to focus a nice sharp picture onto an imaging sensor. Imagine that car is heading towards you, but you have to close your eyes and try to pinpoint its location by judging the shine of light through your eyelids.

Microwaves are still photons!

I appreciate the correction - I don't really understand this at all. Physics 103 is where my knowledge of anything resembling science ends.

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