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Video: Boeing Harpoon ER Could "Dominate the Battlespace" Thanks to its Net-Enabled Capability

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SNA 2017 Show News - Boeing Harpoon ER
 
 
 
Video: Boeing Harpoon ER Could "Dominate the Battlespace" Thanks to its Net-Enabled Capability
 
At the Surface Navy Association's (SNA) National Symposium recently held near Washington DC, Boeing was showcasing its Harpoon ER. This latest variant of the iconic AGM-84 anti-ship missile comes with a more lethal (and lighter) warhead, more fuel and improved turbojet engine to double the missile range.
     
Boeing Harpoon ER anti ship missile Harpoon ER during recent captive carry test with US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet. Note the added datalink antenna close to the nose. US Navy picture courtesy of Boeing.
     
A draft request for proposal (RFP) for the LCS Frigate over the horizon (OTH) weapon requirement was issued in December 2016, with the final RFP expected by the end of January 2017. The contenders to answer the LCS OTH requirement are Kongsberg (teamed with Raytheon) with the NSM, Lockheed Martin with the LRASM and Boeing with the Harpoon ER. Each company was showcasing their anti-ship missile solution at SNA this year.

“It is the only cruise missile in the U.S. inventory that has that capability today [ed. note: net-enabled]." said Rear Admiral (Ret.) Scott Jones, Boeing's global sales and marketing lead for the Harpoon.

“In our response, what we will be providing to the Navy is a system that is available, affordable, extremely capable, extremely lethal. What the Navy would be getting is a capability with twice the range at half the cost. And with its net-enabled weapon capability, it will dominate the battlespace" Jones added.
     
Video interview on Harpoon ER at SNA 2017
     
The distributed lethality concept (one of the themes of the symposium) was introduced by Vice Admiral Thomas Rowden, the Commander of the U.S. Navy's surface forces. It can be summarized by fitting more weapons on more vessels in order to "deceive the enemy, target the enemy, and destroy the enemy".

The RGM-84N Harpoon ER (for extended range) comes with a more lethal (and lighter) warhead, more fuel and improved turbojet engine to double the missile range (from 67nm to 167.5 nm approx. compared to the Block 1C variant) while retaining the same firepower. The missile also comes with a datalink allowing for in-flight retargeting. A datalink antenna is fitted close to the nose cone of the missile (the only visual difference between a Harpoon Block 1C and the ER variant).
     
Boeing Harpoon ER anti ship missile 2 Harpoon ER during recent captive carry test with US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet. US Navy picture courtesy of Boeing.