OVERVIEW: The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977. The missile system has also been further developed into a land-strike weapon, the Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM).

The regular Harpoon uses active radar homing, and a low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory to improve survivability and lethality. The missile's launch platforms include: Fixed-wing aircraft (the AGM-84, without the solid-fuel rocket booster) || Surface ships (the RGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster that detaches when expended, to allow the missile's main turbojet to maintain flight) || Submarines (the UGM-84, fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and encapsulated in a container to enable submerged launch through a torpedo tube) || Coastal defense batteries, from which it would be fired with a solid-fuel rocket booster.

SPECIFICATION: Primary function: Air, surface, or submarine-launched anti-surface (anti-ship) missile || Length: Air-launched: 3.8 metres (12 ft) || Length: Surface and submarine-launched: 4.6 metres (15 ft) || Weight: Air-launched 519 kilograms (1,144 lb) || Weight: Submarine or ship launched from box or canister launcher 628 kilograms (1,385 lb) || Diameter: 340 millimetres (13 in) Wing span: 914 millimetres (36.0 in) || Power Plant: Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet, 660 lb (300 kg)-force (2.9 kN) thrust, and a solid-propellant booster for surface and submarine launches || Guidance: Sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar altimeter, active radar terminal homing  || Warhead: 221 kilograms (487 lb), penetration high-explosive blast.

PERFORMANCE: Maximum Altitude: 910 metres (2,990 ft) with booster fins and wings || Range: Over-the-horizon (approx 50 nautical miles) || Range: AGM-84D (Block 1C) 220 km (120 nmi) || Range: RGM/UGM-84D (Block 1C) 140 km (75 nmi) || Range: AGM-84E (Block 1E) 93 km (50 nmi) || Range: AGM-84F (Block 1D) 315 km (170 nmi) || Range: RGM-84F (Block 1D) 278 km (150 nmi) Range: RGM/AGM-84L (Block 2) 278 km (150 nmi) || Range: AGM-84H/K (Block 1G / Block 1J): 280 km (150 nmi) || Speed: High subsonic, around 850 km/h (460 knots, 240 m/s, or 530 mph).

DEPLOYMENT: Ship-launched (RGM-84A): 1977 || Air-launched (AGM-84A): 1979 || Submarine-launched (UGM-84A): 1981 || SLAM (AGM-84E): 1990 || SLAM-ER (AGM-84H) 1998 (delivery); 2000 (IOC) || SLAM-ER ATA (AGM-84K): 2002 (IOC).

SOURCE: [SCO] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org