Boeing tests upgraded Harpoon anti-ship missile

Boeing conducted the first tests of the updated Harpoon Block II Update anti-ship missile at Point Mugu Naval Test Site in California, Naval News reports.

According to Boeing, the Harpoon Block II (HIIU) upgrade involves a near-complete redesign of the missile as interest in such weapons grows. That's why Boeing decided to upgrade the already significantly outdated system.

The original version of the Harpoon has been in production since 1977 and continues to be widely used around the world as an all-weather air-, land- and submarine-launched anti-ship missile. It has been upgraded several times, improving software, fuel, and other parameters.

As for the Harpoon Block IIU, it is an updated version of the Block II, which already had some parts from the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) kits . This allowed it to hit, in particular, ground targets.

Its characteristics have not yet been announced, but it is known that during testing it was launched from the F-15SA.

Delivery of the updated Block IIU Harpoons is expected in 2026.