RGM-84A Harpoon antiship missile

HARPOON ANTISHIP CRUISE MISSILE Figure 1-8 shows the HARPOON ANTISHIP CRUISE MISSILE, a medium-range, rocket- boosted, turbo-sustained cruise missile. It can be launched from surface ships, submarines, or aircraft (without the booster). It is effective against hostile surface targets such as combatants and surfaced submarines. The Harpoon missile uses a solid-propellant to launch it from a variety of surface ship launcher configurations including Tartar rails, antisubmarine rocket (ASROC) cells, or deck- mounted canisters. When launched from submerged submarines, a sealed capsule protects the Harpoon missile in the torpedo tube. The capsule then floats to the surface, where booster ignition occurs and the missile boosts from the capsule. Following a surface or an air launch, the Harpoon flies a programmed, low-trajectory path to the target. An onboard computer provides inflight attitude reference and midcourse guidance. Target location is provided by a self- contained active radar seeker. Terminal guidance uses the radar seeker, or passive homing, in an electronic countermeasure (ECM) environment. A 500-pound high-explosive (HE) warhead with a contact fuse accomplishes target destruction. PHALANX CLOSE-IN WEAPONS SYSTEM Figure 1-9 shows the PHALANX CLOSE-IN WEAPONS SYSTEM. The Phalanx is the Navy’s Figure 1-8.—RGM-84A Harpoon antiship missile. 1-16