On 15th June, US has announced another $1 billion military aid for Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on
Wednesday ahead of the announcement.
The Pentagon said the package include 18 155mm Howitzers, 36,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition,
18 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers , additional ammunition for High Mobility
Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and most importantly two Harpoon coastal defense systems.
The two U.S. RGM-84 Harpoon systems will join an unspecified number of the anti-ship missiles
and two shore-based launchers Denmark donated to Ukraine in May.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not say how many missiles, which variants or what
type of launchers will be sent to Ukraine, but did say that a "system" includes munitions,
a launcher, and a trained crew to operate it.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why Harpoon Anti Ship Missile from the U.S is
the most significant weapon transfer to Ukraine ?
Let's get started.
Since February 2022, Ukraine's access to the Black Sea is closed due to the Russian blockade.
Access to the Black Sea is very important for Ukraine since it is its gateway to the
world.
The blockade is obstructing Ukraine's economy and also threatening to create a global food
security crisis by stopping Ukrainian agricultural exports from reaching international markets.
Viewers may note that Ukraine is one of the main world exporters of grains as well as
vegetable oils.
The main agricultural export products are Corn and Wheat.
In 2021 Ukraine was the second-largest supplier of grains for the European Union (EU) and
a large food supplier for low and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa
Not only this, Russian warships present in the Black Sea have been targeting Ukrainian
assets using ship launched land attack missiles.
RGM 84L Block II are capable of hitting ships at sea as well as targets in port and on land
with an upgrade from the Boeing Advanced Harpoon Weapon Control System.
Harpoon Block II expands the capabilities of the original Harpoon anti-ship weapon.
The major system components of the Harpoon Block II missile include a booster, launch
support structure, and canisters, as well as a command and launch system.
The missile employs a GPS-aided inertial navigation system (INS) to strike targets on land and
ships.
Harpoon Block II integrates the low-cost inertial measuring unit from the Joint Direct Attack
Munition (JDAM) program.
It also uses a software package, mission computer, integrated GPS/INS, and GPS antenna and receiver
from the AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER).
The guidance control unit (GCU) of Harpoon Block II integrates a selective availability
anti-spoofing module (SAASM) GPS receiver.
The GCU can also be incorporated with a data link for network-centric operation.
The GPS/INS eliminates midcourse guidance issues on the way to the target area while
performing conventional anti-ship missions, including open-sea and near-land.
The accurate navigation combined with an improved launch system provides better discrimination
of target vessels from islands and nearby land zones or other ships.
The advanced features of Block II provide a high hit probability against warships operating
near shore or sailing on narrow sea routes.
The 227 kg or 500 lb penetration, high-explosive blast warhead provides the missile with sufficient
firepower to cripple a large warship.
Under the Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over the straits that connect the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea and can limit the passage of warships during wartime or
if threatened.
The pact exempts vessels returning to their bases.
Ankara had said its Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits have been closed under the 1936 pact
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told national broadcaster Haberturk in Mar
that Turkey had asked Russia not to send its ships through.
So, warships taken out in the Black Sea can't have a substitute.
This makes the situation complicated for Russia .
As per reports, about 20 Russian Navy vessels, including submarines, are in the Black Sea
operational zone.
Ukraine was able to hit Russia hard on 13 April 2022 when it targeted the Black Sea
fleet flagship Moskva with indigenous Neptune anti-ship missiles which resulted in its sinking,
but the blockade still remains.
Neptune entered service with the Ukrainian Navy in March 2021 and only a few are available.
So, Ukraine needs Anti Ship missiles.
Ukraine has made it clear that it needed more advanced U.S. capabilities beyond what has
been made available till now.
There is no place to hide in the Black Sea especially since Ukraine has been receiving
intelligence from NATO.
While it has only subsonic speed , it flies close to the water level making it hard to
detect and intercept.
Harpoon would be a game-changer as it can take out a warship from action with a single
hit.
Things could get really challenging for the Russian Navy in the coming days as it is already
clear that the Russian ship-based air defense systems are not as effective as claimed to be.