Another successful milestone for the U.S. Navy's Harpoon Block II program has been achieved. Yesterday USS Decatur, an Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer, launched a single Harpoon Block II missile against a simulated SA-10 radar target located on San Nicholas Island at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Pt. Mugu, CA. This event marked completion of Developmental Test (DT) II for the program.

In this test, the missile successfully demonstrated its coastal target suppression capabilities for the first time. Following its preplanned engagement profile with three enroute waypoints, the missile skimmed across the sea and performed a terminal pop-up maneuver prior to making a steep dive angle attack. The missile scored a direct hit on the target, striking just behind the radar antenna panel during this GPS aided shot.

The third and final Harpoon Block II developmental test shot is tentatively scheduled for late October 2001 using a simulated surface ship target located close to shoreline.

When asked to comment on the shot, Capt. Carl Reiber, the Navy's Standoff Missiles program manager said, "today's operation again proved the viability and capability of the Harpoon Block II through a modernization upgrade of the missile using proven hardware components from the SLAM-ER and JDAM weapon systems."

The Harpoon Block II is manufactured by The Boeing Company, St. Louis, MO. It is a multi-mission missile capable of being deployed from all current Harpoon missile system platforms with either existing command and launch equipment or the new Advanced Harpoon Weapon Control System. Harpoon Block II missiles are planned for sale to foreign countries approved under U.S. Foreign Military Sales agreements.

For more information about the Harpoon program, visit the website at www.strikenet.js.mil.