AGM-84 Harpoon

Encyclopedia : A : AG : AGM : AGM-84 Harpoon

The AGM-84 Harpoon is a US-made, all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, with development and manufacturing now taken over by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977. The missile system has also been further developed into a coastal strike version, the AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM).

A Harpoon missile on display at the USS Bowfin museum at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Harpoon uses active radar homing and low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory to improve survivability and effectiveness. The missile's launch platform options include:

• surface ships (RGM-84, fitted with a solid rocket launch booster that detaches when expended to allow the missile's integral turbojet to maintain flight)
• submarines (UGM-84, fitted with a solid-rocket launch booster and encapsulated in a container to enable submerged launch through a torpedo tube)
• airplanes (AGM-84, without the booster)
• coastal defense batteries

Versions and operators

Original Harpoon

The AGM-84A was first introduced in 1977, and in 1979 an air-launched version was deployed on the US Navy's P-3 Orion aircraft.

Harpoon Block II

Harpoon Block II test firing from USS Decatur.

In production at Boeing facilities in St. Charles, Mo. is the Harpoon II, intended to offer an expanded engagement envelope and advanced counter measures together with improved targeting. The key improvements of the Harpoon II are obtained by incorporating the inertial measurement unit from the JDAM program, and the software, computer, GPS/inertial navigation system and GPS antenna/receiver from the SLAM-ER (Expanded Response, an upgrade to the AGM-84E SLAM).

The first international customer for Harpoon Block II systems was the Royal Danish Navy, which ordered 50 upgrade kits in 1997; the first systems were delivered in 2002.

General characteristics

• Primary function: Air, surface, or submarine launched anti-surface (anti-ship) missile.
• Contractor: Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
• Power plant: Teledyne Turbojet and solid propellant booster for surface and submarine launch.
• Thrust: 2.9 kN (660 lbf)
• Length:
• * Air launched: 3.8 m (12 ft 7 in)
• * Surface and submarine launched: 4.6 m (15 ft)
• Weight:
• * Air launched: 519 kg (1,160 lb)
• * Submarine or ship launched from box or canister launcher: 628 kg (1,523 lb)
• Diameter: 340 mm (13.5 in)
• Wing span: 910 mm (3 ft) with booster fins and wings
• Range: Over-the-horizon.
• *AGM-84D - 220 km (120 nm).
• *RGM/UGM-84D - 140 km (75 nm).
• *AGM-84E - 93 km (50 nm).
• *AGM-84F - 315 km (170 nm.)
• *AGM-84H/K- 280 km (150 nm).
• Speed: High subsonic, around 850 km/h (460 knots, 240 m/s, 530 mph)
• Guidance: Sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar altimeter, active radar terminal homing.
• Warhead: 221 kg (488 lb), penetration high-explosive blast
• Unit cost: US$720,000
• Date deployed:
• * Ship launched (RGM-84A): 1977
• * Air launched (AGM-84A): 1979
• * Submarine launched (UGM-84A): 1981
• * SLAM (AGM-84E): 1990
• * SLAM-ER (AGM-84H): 1998 (delivery); 2000 (initial operational capability, IOC)
• * SLAM-ER ATA (AGM-84K): 2002 (IOC)

External links

• [Official Harpoon information] – At Boeing's website
• [Detailed information of all Harpoon versions and upgrades] – From Encyclopedia Astronautica

• [AGM-84 variants]

| Airlines | Air forces | Aircraft weapons | Missiles | Timeline of aviation

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.