The American Harpoon anti-ship missile (AGM/RGM/UGM-84 Harpoon) is one of the most common missiles in the world. Developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. To destroy ground targets, the AGM-84E SLAM missile was created on its basis.

The Harpoon has an active homing radar system and an ultra-low flight path. The following platforms can be used to launch a rocket:

• aircraft (AGM-84, version without solid fuel accelerator);
• surface ships (RGM-84, a variant with a solid fuel booster that is disconnected in flight after fuel production);
• submarines (UGM-84, a variant with a solid fuel accelerator and packaging in a special container that allows underwater launch from a torpedo tube);
• coastal launchers (rocket variants with solid propellant boosters).

The Harpoon is a versatile anti-ship missile that can be used by surface ships, submarines and aircraft. The ability to fly at ultra-low altitude, an active homing radar head and a powerful warhead make the missile an effective weapon against surface targets.

Structurally, Harpoon consists of four parts. The nose part of the missile consists of the main (instrument) compartment, followed by the warhead, propulsion engine and tail compartment.

In the instrument compartment there are missile guidance and flight control systems, it is closed with a special radio-transparent cover. The missile is guided by the AN/DSQ-28 active homing radar head, which provides independent search, capture and targeting.

The detection range of a destroyer-type target is 40 km in open air, 23 km in rainy weather, and the detection range of missile boat-type targets is 18 and 10 km, respectively. The homing head opens in a predetermined flight segment. And it has a hopping operating frequency that changes in a random pattern to protect against radio-electronic countermeasures. In the initial and marching segments of the orbit, flight control is carried out in automatic mode using a navigation system, a radio altimeter and a digital computer.

The warhead of the penetrating type WDU-18/B weighs 222 kg and has a length of 0.9 m. It is installed on all modifications of the missile, with the exception of the AGM-84H/K, which is equipped with the WDU-40 warhead. /B weighs 360 kg. The warhead body is made of steel to protect the warhead from being destroyed when it encounters an obstacle. The explosion of the 97.5 kg DESTEX explosive in the missile warhead does not occur immediately, but with a little delay, so that the explosion occurs inside the ship.

Behind the missile warhead is a fuel tank and Teledyne CAE J402 jet engine, which has a thrust of 300 kgf (2.9 kN) and provides the missile with a speed of 855 km / h. JP-10 fuel will be used to run the engine.

RGM/UGM-84 rockets use the A/B44G-2 or -3 solid propellant launch accelerator located at the tail of the rocket, providing 53 kN of thrust, operating for 2.9 seconds. In addition, there are mechanisms and drives of four control rudders, which can turn ±30 degrees according to the autopilot signals in the tail part.

The Harpoon anti-missile missile can be launched from AERO-65 and AERO-7/A bomb bays, MK 6, MK 7 (anti-shock) and MK 12 (thick-walled) containers, MK 8, MK 112 ASROC and MK. 116 TART ship launchers or submarine devices from torpedoes.

There are two options for using anti-aircraft missiles: launch by direction and range, and launch by range. The first mode is used if the location of the ship is known, at the final stage of the flight the homing radar head is opened. This method allows the missile to remain undetected by the anti-aircraft/anti-missile systems of the enemy ship for a long time. The second option is used when the exact location of the target is unknown. In this case, the missile is launched in the direction of a possible target, and at the initial stage of flight the homing head is activated and independently searches for the target. However, in this case, the enemy can detect a missile fired at him much earlier than with the first option. If the target is not found, the missile can be commanded to self-destruct.

On June 17, 2022, in the Black Sea waters, two Harpoon missiles hit the tugboat of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Vasyl Bekh, carrying weapons and ammunition to the captured Ukrainian island of Zmiiny for the Russian invaders, in the Black Sea waters. On the tug was the anti-aircraft missile system “Tor”, designed to solve the tasks of anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense of the tug.