Missile AGM-84 / RGM-84 Harpoon

The AGM-84 Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). Introduced in 1977, it has been a mainstay in the arsenals of the United States Navy and several allied countries for naval and maritime strike roles. The RGM-84 is essentially the same missile but is designated for launch from surface ships rather than aircraft.

The Harpoon employs active radar homing for its guidance system, which enables "fire-and-forget" capability. Once launched, the missile autonomously seeks out and engages its target based on radar signatures. It follows a low-level, sea-skimming trajectory to minimize detection and evade enemy countermeasures, such as anti-aircraft systems.

Propelled by a turbojet engine in most versions, the Harpoon is subsonic, with a speed typically around Mach 0.7. While not as fast as some contemporary anti-ship missiles, its range and sea-skimming capability make it a potent threat to enemy vessels.

The Harpoon has been developed in various versions with differing ranges and capabilities, including land-attack variants. Versions like the AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) have been modified to engage land-based targets, and they feature GPS guidance in addition to radar homing.

The missile has seen combat use in various conflicts and is generally considered effective for its intended role of striking naval and maritime targets. However, advances in ship-based anti-missile systems and electronic countermeasures have led to ongoing updates to keep the Harpoon viable against modern threats.