The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile
system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. In 2004, Boeing
delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977. The
missile system has also been further developed into a land-strike weapon, the
Standoff Land Attack Missile. The regular Harpoon uses active radar
homing, and a low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory to improve
survivability and lethality. The missile's launch platforms include:
Fixed-wing aircraft Surface ships
Submarines; Coastal defense batteries, from which it
would be fired with a solid-fuel rocket booster.
Development In 1965 the U.S. Navy began studies for
a missile in the 45 km range class for use against surfaced submarines. The
name Harpoon was assigned to the project. The sinking of the Israeli
destroyer Eilat in 1967 by a Soviet-built Styx anti-ship missile
shocked senior United States Navy officers, who until then had not been
conscious of the threat posed by anti-ship missiles. In 1970 Chief of
Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt accelerated the development of Harpoon
as part of his "Project Sixty" initiative, hoping to add much needed
striking power to US surface combatants. Harpoon was primarily developed for use
on US Navy warships such as the Ticonderoga-class cruiser as their
principal anti-ship weapon system. The Harpoon has also been adapted for
carriage on several aircraft, such as the P-3 Orion, the A-6 Intruder, the S-3
Viking, the AV-8B Harrier II, and the F/A-18 Hornet and U.S. Air Force B-52H
bombers. Harpoon was purchased by many American allies, including Pakistan,
Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and most NATO
countries. It has been carried by several U.S. Air Force aircraft,
including the B-52H bomber and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The Royal Australian Air Force is capable of firing AGM-84 series missiles
from its F/A-18F Super Hornets, FB Hornets, and AP-3C Orion aircraft, and
previously from the now retired F-111C/Gs. The Royal Australian Navy
deploys the Harpoon on major surface combatants and in the Collins-class
submarines. The Spanish Air Force and the Chilean Navy are also AGM-84D
customers, and they deploy the missiles on surface ships, and F/A-18s, F-16s,
and P-3 Orion aircraft. The British Royal Navy deploys the Harpoon on
several types of surface ship. The Royal Canadian Navy carries Harpoon
missiles on its Halifax-class frigates. The Royal New Zealand Air Force is
looking at adding the capability of carrying a stand-off missile, probably
Harpoon or AGM-65 Maverick, on its six P-3 Orion patrol planes once they have
all been upgraded to P3K2 standard. The Republic of Singapore Air Force also
operates five modified Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft which are
fitted with the sensors needed to fire the Harpoon missile. The Pakistani Navy
carries the Harpoon missile on its naval frigates and P-3C Orions. The Turkish
Navy carries Harpoons on surface warships and Type 209 submarines. The
Turkish Air Force will be armed with the SLAM-ER.
At least 339 Harpoon missiles were sold to the Republic of China Air Force for
its F-16 A/B Block 20 fleet and the Taiwanese Navy, which operates four
guided-missile destroyers and eight guided-missile frigates with the
capability of carrying the Harpoon, including the eight former U.S. Navy
Knox-class frigates and the four former USN Kidd-class destroyers which have
been sold to Taiwan. The two Zwaardvis/Hai Lung submarines and 12
P-3C Orion aircraft can also use the missile. The eight Cheng Kung-class
frigate, despite being based on the US Oliver Hazard Perry-class class, have
Harpoon capabilities deleted from their combat systems, and funding to restore
it has so far been denied. The Block 1 missiles were designated
AGMUGM-84A in US service and UGM-84B in the UK. Block 1B standard missiles were
designated AGMUGM-84C, Block 1C missiles were designated AGMUGM-84D. Block 1 used
a terminal attack mode that included a pop-up to approximately 1800m before
diving on the target; Block 1B omitted the terminal pop-up; and Block 1C
provided a selectable terminal attack mode.
= Harpoon Block 1D= This version featured a larger fuel tank
and re-attack capability, but was not produced in large numbers because its
intended mission was considered to be unlikely following the events of
1991–92. Range is 278 km. Block 1D missiles were designated RGM/AGM-84F.
= SLAM ATA= This version, under development, gives
the SLAM a re-attack capability, as well as an image comparison capability
similar to the Tomahawk cruise missile; that is, the weapon can compare the
target scene in front of it with an image stored in its on-board computer
during terminal phase target acquisition and lock on. Block 1G missiles
AGMUGM-84G; the original SLAM-ER missiles were designated AGM-84H and
later ones the AGM-84K. = Harpoon Block 1J=
Block 1J was a proposal for a further upgrade, AGMUGM-84J Harpoon, for use
against both ship and land targets. = Harpoon Block II=
In production at Boeing facilities in Saint Charles, Missouri, is the Harpoon
Block II, intended to offer an expanded engagement envelope, enhanced resistance
to electronic countermeasures and improved targeting. Specifically, the
Harpoon was initially designed as an open-ocean weapon. The Block II missiles
continue progress begun with Block IE, and the Block II missile provides the
Harpoon with a littoral-water anti-ship capability.
The key improvements of the Harpoon Block II are obtained by incorporating
the inertial measurement unit from the Joint Direct Attack Munition program,
and the software, computer, Global Positioning System/inertial navigation
system and GPS antenna/receiver from the SLAM Expanded Response, an upgrade to
the SLAM. The US Navy awarded a $120 million
contract to Boeing in July 2011 for the production of about 60 Block II Harpoon
missiles, including missiles for 6 foreign militaries. Boeing lists 30
foreign navies as Block II customers. India acquired 24 Harpoon Block II
missiles to arm its maritime strike Jaguar fighters in a deal worth $170
million through the Foreign Military Sales system. In December 2010, the
Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified U.S. Congress of a possible
sale of 21 additional AGM-84L HARPOON Block II Missiles and associated
equipment, parts and logistical support for a complete package worth
approximately $200 million; the Indian government intends to use these missiles
on its Indian Navy P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft. Indian Navy is also
planning to upgrade the fleet of four submarines – Shishumar class submarine –
with tube-launched Harpoon missiles. Harpoon Block 2 missiles are designated
AGMUGM-84L. = Harpoon Block III=
Harpoon Block III was intended to be an upgrade package to the existing USN
Block 1C missiles and Command Launch Systems for guided-missile cruisers,
guided-missile destroyers, and the FF Super Hornet fighter aircraft. After
experiencing an increase in the scope of required government ship integration,
test and evaluation, and a delay in development of a data-link, the Harpoon
Block III program was canceled by the U.S. Navy in April 2009.
= Harpoon Next Generation= In April 2015, Boeing unveiled a
modified version of the RGM-84 it calls the Harpoon Next Generation. It
increases the ship-launched Harpoon missile's range from the Block II's 70
nmi to 130 nmi, along with a new lighter 300 lb warhead a more fuel-efficient
engine with electronic fuel controls. Boeing is offering the missile as the
U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship frigate upgrade over-the-horizon anti-ship
missile as a cost-effective missile upgrade option. The Harpoon Next
Generation will likely compete against the Kongsberg/Raytheon Naval Strike
Missile and could be ready for service by 2017.
Operational history In 1981 and 1982 there were two
accidental launches of Harpoon missiles: one by the USN and the other by the
Danish Navy, which destroyed and damaged buildings in the recreational housing
area Lumsås. The Danish missile was later known as the hovsa-missile.
In November 1980 during Operation Morvarid Iranian missile boats attacked
and sank two Iraqi Osa-class missile boats; one of the weapons used was the
Harpoon missile. In 1986, the United States Navy sank at
least two Libyan patrol boats in the Gulf of Sidra. Two Harpoon missiles were
launched from the USS Yorktown with no confirmed results and several others
from A-6 Intruder aircraft that were said to have hit their targets. Initial
reports claimed that the USS Yorktown scored hits on a patrol boat, but action
reports indicated that the target may have been a false one and that no ships
were hit by those missiles. In 1988, Harpoon missiles were used to
sink the Iranian frigate Sahand during Operation Praying Mantis. Another was
fired at the Kaman-class missile boat Joshan, but failed to strike because the
fast attack craft had already been mostly sunk by RIM-66 Standard missiles.
An Iranian-owned Harpoon missile was also fired at the guided missile cruiser
USS Wainwright. The missile was successfully lured away by chaff.
In December 1988, a Harpoon launched by an F/A-18 Hornet fighter from the
aircraft carrier USS Constellation killed one sailor when it struck the
merchant ship Jagvivek, a 250 ft long Indian-owned ship, during an exercise at
the Pacific Missile Range near Kauai, Hawaii. A Notice to Mariners had been
issued warning of the danger, but Jagvivek left port before receiving the
communication and subsequently strayed into the test range area, and the
Harpoon missile, loaded just with an inert dummy warhead, locked onto it
instead of its intended target. In June 2009, it was reported by an
American newspaper, citing unnamed officials from the Obama administration
and the U.S. Congress, that the American government had accused Pakistan of
illegally modifying some older Harpoon missiles to strike land targets.
Pakistani officials denied this and they claimed that the US was referring to a
new Pakistani-designed missile. Some international experts were also reported
to be skeptical of the accusations. Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air
Launched Weapons, pointed out that the Harpoon is not suitable for the
land-attack role due to deficiency in range. He also stated that Pakistan was
already armed with more sophisticated missiles of Pakistani or Chinese design
and, therefore, "beyond the need to reverse-engineer old US kit." Hewson
offered that the missile tested by Pakistan was part of an undertaking to
develop conventionally armed missiles, capable of being air- or
surface-launched, to counter its rival India's missile arsenal. It was later
stated that Pakistan and the US administration had reached some sort of
agreement allowing US officials to inspect Pakistan's inventory of Harpoon
missiles, and the issue had been resolved.
Operators = Current operators=
General characteristics Primary function: Air-, surface-, or
submarine-launched anti-surface missile Contractor: The McDonnell Douglas
Astronautic Company – East Power plant: Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet,
660 lb-force thrust, and a solid-propellant booster for surface and
submarine launches Length:
Air-launched: 3.8 metres Surface and submarine-launched: 4.6
metres Weight:
Air-launched: 519 kilograms Submarine or ship launched from box or
canister launcher: 628 kilograms Diameter: 340 millimetres
Wing span: 914 millimetres Maximum altitude: 910 metres with
booster fins and wings Range: Over-the-horizon
AGM-84D: 220 km RGM/UGM-84D: 140 km
AGM-84E : 93 km AGM-84F: : 315 km
RGM-84F: 278 km. RGM/AGM-84L: 278 km
AGM-84H/K: 280 km Speed: High subsonic, around 850 km/h
Guidance: Sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar altimeter, active radar
terminal homing Warhead: 221 kilograms, penetration
high-explosive blast Unit cost: US$527,416
Date deployed: Ship-launched: 1977
Air-launched: 1979 Submarine-launched: 1981
SLAM: 1990 SLAM-ER: 1998; 2000)
SLAM-ER ATA: 2002 See also
Exocet Brahmos
Sea Eagle RBS-15
SS-N-25 YJ-12
C-802 Type 90 Ship-to-Ship Missile
Long Range Anti-Ship Missile References
External links Official Harpoon information – Boeing
website Detailed information of all Harpoon
versions and upgrades – From Encyclopedia Astronautica
AGM-84 variants McDonnell-Douglas AGM-84A Harpoon and
AGM-84E SLAM FAS Harpoon article
Global Security Harpoon article Boeing Harpoon Block III Press Release
Boeing Harpoon Block II Backgrounder Royal Netherlands Navy launches Harpoons
from new frigate HMS De Ruyter