Harpoon, not Naval Strike Missile – the United States named the anti-ship missiles that Ukraine receives
We just wrote about Naval Strike Missile, as it became known that other anti-ship missiles will be delivered to Ukraine – Harpoon. This was announced by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a briefing at the Pentagon.
Missiles and launchers of the Armed Forces will be provided by Denmark. And although Mr. Austin did not provide any details of supplies, the number of systems, missiles, dates, etc., it is clear that these will not be naval but ground-based launchers that were once in the service of the Danish Navy.
We are talking about the Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) with Harpoon Block I missiles, which guarded the Danish coast from 1988 to 2003. Where and how the HCDS were stored for the last 20 years is unknown. Interestingly, a more modern version of the system with Harpoon Block II missiles Boeing will begin supplying to Taiwan only in 2025.
The HCDS has four starter containers, but which of the Harpoon Block I modifications these units use, Block IB, Block IC, or Block ID, is unknown. The latter have increased to 278 km range, but were produced in very small quantities.
Harpoon Block I specifications
Mass – 691 kg
Length – 4.6 m
Diameter – 34 cm
Warhead – 221 kg
Wingspan – 0.91 m
Engine – Teledyne CAE J402
Range – 139 km
Flight altitude – sea-skimming
Top speed – Mach 0.71, 864 km/h