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72-592: In 2017, an agreement for the launch of a concept phase was signed between the two initial partners and, in March 2019, MBDA announced the key review of the programme was successfully completed in cooperation with the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) and the British Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S). On 18 February 2022, an agreement and associated contracts signed by the head of

144-591: A low observable subsonic cruise missile currently known as the TP15 and a supersonic highly manoeuvrable missile currently known as the RJ10. The latest timeline for the programme is that the assessment phase will be completed in 2024 and would move to the manufacturing phase from 2025 to 2035. Unveiled in 2011 at the Salon du Bourget in Paris, Perseus or CVS401 Perseus (named after

216-624: A $ 3.1 billion deal. India will also receive Harpoon missiles under FMS in a $ 155 million deal. In late May 2022, Denmark sent Harpoon launchers and missiles to Ukraine to help their war effort , and shortly after, the Netherlands sent additional missiles. In mid-June 2022, the US announced that they would supply Ukraine with Harpoon launchers and missiles, and the UK Defence Secretary said that they also were looking into supplying Ukraine with

288-654: A letter of intent to join the French and British on the FC/ASW programme, likely as a means of fielding future replacements both for Italy's Storm Shadow/SCALP stockpiles and for its indigenous Teseo anti-ship missiles. This also came with an announcement that FC/ASW was expected to leave the concept phase and launch the primary design phase starting in 2024 with the finished product(s) entering service around 2028–2030. On 17 November 2023, Shepard News reported that Italy had confirmed its initial funding of €10 million out of €150 million for

360-443: A new lighter 300 lb (140 kg) warhead and a more fuel-efficient engine with electronic fuel controls. Boeing offered 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; complete Next Gen Harpoons would cost approximately as much as a Block II at $ 1.2 million each, with upgrades for an existing missile costing half that. The version

432-541: A question on the in-service date for FC/ASW, stating: "The planning assumption for service entry for Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon on the Type 26 Frigate and Typhoon aircraft is 2028 and 2030 respectively". As a result of FC/ASW being unable to deliver a weapon before 2020, the then retirement date for the UK's Harpoon stockpile, In 2019 the UK began the £200 million Interim Surface to Surface Guided Weapon (I-SSGW) programme to procure

504-510: A small stockpile of replacement missiles that would provide both anti-ship and land-attack capability (the latter of which was not a capability present in the Harpoon) in the interim until FC/ASW yielded a more capable replacement around 2030. To facilitate the selection and procurement of I-SSGW, Harpoons out-of-service-date would be pushed back to 2023 to provide more time to allow for the interim to be selected and enter service. In November 2021, It

576-502: A submarine-launched capability was not directly being explored at this time but that "there will undoubtedly be potentially some read-across of some of the work done in this programme to other missile systems". Additionally, Sir Simon Bollom of DE&S, clarified that the UK desired to integrate the resulting air-launched product on to the F-35B in the long-term. In July 2021, then UK Secretary of State for Defence Jeremy Quin , responded to

648-467: A week after the first set was successfully installed on HMS Somerset . However, following a series of defects and current lack of availability as of February 2024, HMS Somerset has yet to conduct a live-firing of NSM and has effectively seen a delay placed on the Royal Navy's escort fleet regaining a key surface warfare capability. In September 2021 the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to progress

720-735: Is also called the Harpoon Block II+ ER. Boeing claims the Block II+ ER is superior to the Naval Strike Missile through its improved turbojet giving it greater range and active radar-homing seeker for all-weather operation, as well as a lighter but "more lethal" warhead. Test shots in 2017 had been confirmed. In May 2017, Boeing revealed it was no longer offering the upgraded Harpoon for the frigate OTH missile requirement, but would continue development of it. In 1981 and 1982, there were two accidental launches of Harpoon missiles: one by

792-452: 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 (MPA) which are fitted with the sensors needed to fire the Harpoon missile. The Pakistani Navy carries

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864-539: Is not planned to be reintroduced until the Block IV Tomahawk is modified with a moving target maritime attack feature in 2021. During RIMPAC 2018 a UGM-84 Harpoon was fired by USS Olympia at the ex-USS Racine . The U.S. Navy plans to refurbish and recertify UGM-84 Harpoon missiles to reintroduce the capability to Los Angeles -class submarines . A $ 10 million contract was awarded to Boeing in January 2021 to deliver

936-523: Is reportedly not expected to produce any missile capable of being launched from submarines as the TP15 and RJ10's dimensions will not be compatible with torpedo tubes. MBDA is therefore pitching its Exocet SM40 under development as a successor to France's Exocet SM39 submarine-launched anti-ship missile post-2030. [REDACTED] United Kingdom Direction g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale de l%27armement The Direction générale de l'armement ( DGA ; English: Directorate General of Armament), established in 1961,

1008-636: Is the French Government defence procurement and technology agency, responsible within the Ministry of Armed Forces for project management, development, and purchase of weapon systems for the French military . The DGA's mission is to prepare the future of French defence systems, equip the French Armed Forces , as well as to promote French defence industry exports. The DGA coordinates armament projects with

1080-443: Is to be incorporated for in-flight re-targeting using thin-profile, low-observable active antenna arrays. MBDA animations showed Perseus to be vertically launched from surface warships as well as from the torpedo tubes of submerged attack submarines . A preliminary study was carried out between 2011 and 2014. It assessed the degree of convergence in the definition of the French and British Armed Forces 's operational needs. At

1152-680: The Corps de l'armement have a unique rank structure. Officers of the Corps des ingénieurs des études et techniques de l'armement have also a unique rank structure. Harpoon (missile) The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon , anti-ship missile manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security ). The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and later AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response) are cruise missile variants. The regular Harpoon uses active radar homing and flies just above

1224-539: The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) 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. The Indian Navy is also planning to upgrade

1296-520: The Exocet SM39 and MdCN . In January 2024, in response to a written question from the Shadow Secretary of Defence John Healey on the in-service date of the air-launched variant, The Minister of State for Defence James Cartlidge said that "The planning assumption for service entry for the maritime-launched Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon is 2028; a decision around which options, including off

1368-731: The P-3 Orion , the P-8 Poseidon , the AV-8B Harrier II , the F/A-18 Hornet and the U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers . The Harpoon was purchased by many nations, including India, Japan, Singapore , South Korea, Taiwan , the United Arab Emirates and most NATO countries. The Royal Australian Air Force can fire AGM-84-series missiles from its F/A-18F Super Hornets . AP-3C Orion , and P-8 Poseidon aircraft, and previously from

1440-519: The Republic of China Navy (Taiwan) decided to switch to the Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III . The Block 1 missiles were designated A/R/UGM-84A in US service and UGM-84B in the UK. Block 1B standard missiles were designated A/R/UGM-84C, Block 1C missiles were designated A/R/UGM-84D. Block 1 used a terminal attack mode that included a pop-up to approximately 5,900 feet (1,800 m) before diving on

1512-451: The "off the shelf" comments from James Cartlidge months earlier. On 15 May 2024, in response to a programme update from former Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace , James Cartlidge confirmed that "Significant progress has been made on suitable candidate weapon systems to fulfil the Naval and Air requirements" and that the programme was currently focused on "reducing schedule risk, prior to

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1584-460: The 2016 UK–France Security Summit, the two parties pledged to work on a "joint concept phase for the FC/ASW programme" to cooperate and identify solutions for replacement of both nations' jointly-developed SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles, as well as their respective heavyweight anti-ship missiles: the Harpoon and Exocet ; leveraging the agreements set out in the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties At

1656-658: The 2018 United Kingdom-France Summit, the FC/ASW programme was further affirmed. On 11 July 2018, a joint-inquiry between the French National Défense and Armed Forces Commission and the British House of Commons Defence Select Committee was sat to discuss the FC/ASW program one year into its concept phase. In response to whether part of the system would take on similar roles to that of the Royal Navy's submarine-launched Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile, Lt General Sir Mark Poffley said that "Certainly we would anticipate

1728-570: The AGM-84K (2002 onwards). Block 1J was a proposal for a further upgrade, A/R/UGM-84J Harpoon (or Harpoon 2000), for use against both ship and land targets. 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

1800-598: The DGA, his British counterpart and the CEO of MBDA confirmed the launch of the preparation works for the FC/ASW. As of 2022, the programme was examining two different but complimentary missile concepts; with the discontinuation of a hypersonic solution similar to the CVS401 Perseus which was an early hypersonic missile concept study from MBDA with input from both France and the UK. By 2024, these two concepts had evolved into prototypes for

1872-616: The FC/ASW programme. This decision would have left the UK without any heavyweight surface-launched anti-shipping capability for most of the 2020s after Harpoon retires and before FC/ASW enters service and was therefore controversial. On 5 July 2022, during another Commons Defence Select Committee session, it was announced that the I-SSGW programme had restarted, possibly in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. On 23 November 2022, in

1944-696: The French force, inter allia: combat Tiger helicopter , ground-to-air missiles short Roland /Frole range, Cobra counter-battery radar , family of ground-to-air systems future (FSAF), A400M military transport aircraft, PAAMS anti-aircraft system. The DGA also undertakes the testing and assessment of equipment and military technologies. Test centres are distributed across France to carry out studies in advanced technologies: DGA Hydrodynamics, DGA Aero-engine Testing, DGA CBRN Defence, DGA Information superiority, DGA Land Systems, DGA Missiles Testing, DGA Naval Systems, DGA Flight Testing, DGA Aeronautical Systems, DGA Engineering & Integration. These services contribute to

2016-666: The Greek hero Perseus ) was a concept study undertaken by MBDA for a stealth hypersonic cruise missile designed in consultation with the Marine Nationale and Royal Navy ; a team of ten engineers worked on the design for six months. The Perseus was to be approximately five metres (16 ft) in length, had a weight of around 800 kilograms (1,800 lb) and be powered by a ramjet motor. The payload consisted of one 200-kilogram (440 lb) main and two 50-kilogram (110 lb) subsidiary warheads which could either directly contribute to

2088-614: The Harpoon missile on its 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. Turkey is planning to replace the Harpoons with Turkish made Atmaca missiles. At least 339 Harpoon missiles were sold to the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) for its F-16 A/B Block 20 fleet and the Republic of China Navy , which operates four guided-missile destroyers and eight guided-missile frigates with

2160-642: The SLAM Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), 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. 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,

2232-475: 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 onboard computer during terminal phase target acquisition and lock on (this is known as DSMAC ). Block 1G missiles A/R/UGM-84G; the original SLAM-ER missiles were designated AGM-84H (2000-2002) and later ones

Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon - Misplaced Pages Continue

2304-546: The U.S. State Department approved the sale of Harpoon Block II to the Mexican Navy for use on their future Sigma-class design frigates, the first of which is being built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding . On 18 November 2015, the U.S. Navy tested the AGM-84N Harpoon Block II+ missile against a moving ship target. The Block II+ incorporates an improved GPS guidance kit and a net-enabled data-link that allows

2376-564: The United States Navy which caused no damage 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 ( hovsa being the Danish term for oops ). In November 1980, during Operation Morvarid , Iranian missile boats attacked and sank two Iraqi Osa-class missile boats ; one of

2448-562: 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

2520-404: The announcement that the programme had formally begun assessing two complementary concepts for the missile's design: a subsonic low observable missile and a supersonic missile with high manoeuvrability. It had been known that the program had already been examining supersonic and subsonic designs for the program prior to this. This announcement also appeared to confirm the programme had discounted

2592-557: 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 frigates , despite being based on the US Oliver Hazard Perry class , have Harpoon capabilities deleted from their combat systems, and funding to restore it has so far been denied,

2664-408: 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. The UGM-84A undersea-launched Harpoon version was retired from U.S. Navy service in 1997, leaving the U.S. submarine force without an anti-ship missile, a capability that

2736-494: The development of FC/ASW between 2023 and 2028. On 13 March 2024, during an annual review press conference, MBDA's CEO, Eric Béranger, explained that France and the UK were still in discussions regarding the adjusted workshare following Italy's letter of intent. The Italian funding announcement on 17 November 2023 also came with another timeline update stating that a deep-strike, land-attack variant would be delivered in 2028 and an anti-ship variant delivered in 2034, confirming that

2808-449: The development of a hypersonic missile akin to the conceptualised Perseus, instead choosing to invest further into subsonic/supersonic missile designs. Indications for a two-missile solution for the programme had been publicly displayed almost a year prior at DSEI 2021 ; then previously described as subsonic and hypersonic solutions, it was reported by Naval News that the British were favouring

2880-730: The earlier reports of two distinct but complementary solutions for the programme: France and the UK have, so far, each been responsible for 90% of the workload pertaining to the RJ10 and TP15 respectively; French involvement in the British-led TP15 being primarily centered around its propulsion system, whilst British involvement in the French-led RJ10 mainly revolves around its seeker. Trials completed so far across both missiles include tests on their advanced seekers, tests of their warheads and fuzing systems, as well as aerodynamic trials and other propulsion-related tests. Italy's membership within

2952-547: The engineers, the ingénieurs des études et techniques d'armement (IETA, literally, "weaponry studies and technics engineers") are graduates of the ENSIETA or ENSICA . The DGA also formerly had a division for building warships, the Direction des constructions navales ("Directorate of Naval Construction"), now formed into a partly state-owned corporation, initially named DCNS in 2007 and rebranded Naval Group in 2017. Officers of

Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon - Misplaced Pages Continue

3024-626: The fleet of four submarines – Shishumar class – with tube-launched Harpoon missiles. Defense Security Cooperation Agency in April 2020 approved the sale of 10 AGM-84L Harpoon missiles along with containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment for the P-8I fleet to the Indian Navy at a value of $ 93 million. The sale of Mark 54 lightweight torpedo was approved simultaneously. Harpoon Block II missiles are designated A/R/UGM-84L. In early 2018,

3096-453: The forward, centre and aft sections simultaneously. If a unitary blast is required, then the effectors remain on board the parent missile to add their blast effect to the central warhead." Two types of attack profiles were envisaged: a high-altitude approach, for engaging land-based targets; and a sea-skimming low-altitude approach terminating in a 'pop-up' engagement when dealing with surface threats like enemy warships. The missiles "skimming

3168-601: The industry in France, within Europe, but also with customers for export. Together with the Europe of Defence organisation, the DGA promotes the development of armament projects in co-operation and contributes to the development of the European Defence Agency . Fifteen cooperative armament projects are under way . The OCCAr (Joint Organisation of Co-operation as regards Armament) ensures the control of six projects intended to equip

3240-636: The missile to receive in-flight targeting updates. Introduction of the Block II+ was achieved in 2017 on the F/A-18E/F followed by the P-8A in 2019. Harpoon Block III was intended to be an upgrade package to the existing USN Block 1C missiles and Command Launch Systems (CLS) for guided missile cruisers, guided missile destroyers , and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft. After experiencing an increase in

3312-576: The missiles by the end of the year. 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

3384-516: The missiles. On 17 June, Ukraine claimed to have sunk the tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh with two Harpoon missiles. In a tweet they said "Spasatel Vasily Bekh, a tug of the Russian Black Sea Fleet , successfully demilitarized by the @UA_NAVY. The ship was transporting personnel, weapons and ammunition to the occupied Snake Island." Ukraine's Naval Command also claimed the Russian tugboat had

3456-672: The now retired F-111C/Gs and F/A-18A/B Hornets . 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-16 Falcons , and P-3 Orion aircraft . The British Royal Navy formerly deployed the Harpoon on several types of surface ships. The Royal Canadian Navy carries Harpoon Block II missiles on its Halifax -class frigates . The Royal New Zealand Air Force

3528-476: The other). Some commentators such as Navy Lookout still continued to report at the time that a single weapon (including a hypersonic solution) was being sought. Others outlets such as Naval News saw it likely that a family of weapons were under development and that a predominantly French-designed supersonic missile and a predominantly British-designed subsonic missile would be fielded together as two distinct but complementary weapons. Others still were curious as to how

3600-454: The overall impact or be ejected from lateral bays before the missile reaches its target, in effect acting as submunitions . This unique feature would allow a single Perseus to either strike several targets in the same general area or to strike a single large target (such as an aircraft carrier ) in several different areas simultaneously, with the aim of maximising damage. "In this case, a linear attack pattern could be selected, munitions striking

3672-453: The potential Demonstration and Manufacturing phases, and preparations are underway to prepare towards Full Business Case". He also confirmed that Italy had still yet to be brought into the programme. In November 2024, at the Euronaval defence exhibition in Paris, MBDA revealed that the development of two prototype missile designs had been progressing over the last twelve months; thus confirming

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3744-516: The programme is due to be finalised at the start of 2025, likely prompting a restructuring of the workshare. All three nations intend to acquire both missiles. The launch platforms for the FC/ASW are expected to include the FREMM and Type 26 frigates, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale fighter jets, and possibly the products of the GCAP and FCAS 6th generation fighter programmes. The FC/ASW programme

3816-480: The programme would meet the diverse surface-launched requirements of all parties, with the British seemingly requiring a vertically launched solution whilst the French and Italian navies with fewer strike-length vertical launch cells available likely requiring a canister-launched capability. It was still not known if the program was eventually to develop a missile also capable of being launched from submarines to replace existing submarine-launched missile variants such as

3888-466: The programme would now produce two role-specific missile variants of as of yet unspecified designs. Despite the earlier announcement in 2022 of complementary subsonic and supersonic concepts, there was still confusion as to whether this was in fact confirmation of the programme actually producing two missiles or merely examining which of the two concepts best fit the requirements of all parties (potentially with some parties choosing to field one concept over

3960-469: The project was postponed by France in response to the AUKUS security pact which saw Australia cancel the acquisition of French-designed conventional submarines ( Attack-class ) in favour of nuclear submarines based on technology from United States and United Kingdom ( SSN-AUKUS ). In February 2022, a government to government agreement and associated contracts were signed by the two nations. This also came with

4032-695: 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. In April 2015, Boeing unveiled a modified version of the RGM-84 it called the Harpoon Next Generation. It increases the ship-launched Harpoon missile's range from the Block II's 70 nmi (81 mi; 130 km) to 167.5 nmi (192.8 mi; 310.2 km), along with

4104-551: The scrutiny of the Ministry of defence ( École polytechnique , ENSTA ParisTech , Supaéro , ENSTA Bretagne , ENSICA ). The high-level military staff of DGA, the Corps of Armament whose members are the ingénieurs de l'armement (IA, literally, " Armament Engineers "), are commissioned officers, who are generally graduates of the École polytechnique , then the ENSTA or Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace . The main part of

4176-530: The sea at wave top" followed by a pop-up manoeuvre would only allow an estimated 3 second response time for enemy warships. The conceptualised sensor suite consisted of a multi-mode active e-scan radar with synthetic aperture radar and doppler beam sharpening , a laser radar ( lidar ) for terminal phase imaging and target recognition , and finally a "semi-active laser guidance capability, which MBDA believes will remain important for time-sensitive targeting for many years to come. Additionally, satellite datalink

4248-616: The shelf choices, should fulfil this requirement is ongoing, and will be confirmed in due course in the Full Business Case". On 14 May 2024, during the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference, Admiral Ben Key told journalists that three missile options were being explored as part of plans to equip the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates with land-attack missiles: Tomahawk, NSM, and FC/ASW, with the former two options aligning with

4320-451: The sorts of roles that Tomahawk is providing at the moment being catered for inside the requirement here". Additionally, it was confirmed that program would at the very least produce two variants, one air-launched and another surface-launched and that options were being explored as to whether a single missile type or a family of missiles would be required to fulfil both parties' anti-ship and deep-strike requirements. Sir Poffley also stated that

4392-409: The subsonic munition whilst the French were favouring the hypersonic option. On 22 July 2022, Naval News reported that the UK's Roll-Royce and France's Safran had jointly signed an assessment phase contract with MBDA to collaborate in producing the propulsion systems for the FC/ASW program, predominantly around the subsonic missile design. On 20 June 2023, during the Paris Air Show , Italy signed

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4464-425: The target may have been a false one and that no ships were hit by those missiles. In 1988, Harpoon missiles were used by the U.S. to sink the Iranian frigate Sahand during Operation Praying Mantis . Another was fired at the Iranian 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

4536-513: The target; Block 1B omitted the terminal pop-up; and Block 1C provided a selectable terminal attack mode. This version featured a larger fuel tank and re-attack capability, but was not produced in large numbers because its intended mission (warfare with the Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern Europe) was considered to be unlikely following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union . The range is 173 miles (278 km) . Block 1D missiles were designated A/RGM-84F. This version, under development , gives

4608-454: 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 U.S. surface warships such as the Ticonderoga -class cruiser . The first Harpoon was delivered in 1977; in 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th. The Harpoon has also been adapted for carriage on several aircraft, including

4680-447: The validation of industrial equipment, but also to the proving of military systems for the programme directorates. Since 2004 DGA, has been organised into two subdirectorates for the coordination of projects dealing respectively with the inter-systems technical approach (Service of architecture inter-systems) and with technological developments (responsible for domains). In addition, the DGA supervises engineering schools that operate under

4752-439: The water to evade defenses. The missile can be launched from: In 1965, the United States Navy began studies for a missile in the 24-nautical-mile (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 appreciated

4824-443: 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 cruiser 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 USS Yorktown scored hits on a patrol boat, but action reports indicated that

4896-486: 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 (76 m) long Indian-owned ship, during an exercise at the Pacific Missile Range near Kauai , Hawaii . A Notice to Mariners had been issued warning of

4968-418: Was announced that the I-SSGW programme had been cancelled. First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin explained to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee that the I-SSGW was seen as a "sticking-plaster approach" delivering only a "modest" capability for a short-period of time that would quickly be replaced by the more capable FC/ASW solution and that instead it would be more beneficial to just invest entirely in

5040-456: Was announced that the Norwegian Naval Strike Missile (NSM) had been selected for the I-SSGW requirement with eleven sets purchased to equip the Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers with the possibility of migrating some of the sets to the Type 26 or particularly the Type 31 frigates in the future. Under the newly named Maritime Offensive Surface Strike programme (MOSS), NSM had its initial operating capability declared on 19 December 2023

5112-478: 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 (GPS)/inertial navigation system and GPS antenna/receiver from

5184-545: 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. The Harpoon missile has also emerged as a preferred choice for several foreign countries under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. In 2020 its manufacturer Boeing won two major contracts for supplying Harpoon missiles to Saudi Arabia and six other partner nations under

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