The US Navy has awarded a $1.17 billion contract to Boeing for the procurement of 400 Harpoon Block II Update tactical missiles, along with related equipment and support services for the Harpoon Coastal Defense System.
As part of the order, Boeing will supply the US Navy with 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II Update (HIIU) Grade B canister tactical missiles, along with other related equipment and services. The contract also includes four RTM-84L-4 Block II HIIU Grade B canister exercise missiles, containers, blast test vehicles, Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) spares, and technical publications.
$629.7 million of the total contract award will go towards work on the deliveries of the HCDS system. While the Pentagon contract award did not specify who the foreign military customers are, Taiwan is one of the known buyers of the system.
The country expects deliveries of the Harpoon coastal missile defense system to be completed by 2028, as part of an investment worth around US$2.37 billion. That price tag would include a total of over 400 missiles, 100 launchers, radar systems and other supporting equipment.
HCDS is a ground-based version of the Boeing Harpoon missile Block II, capable of targeting both ships and land-based sites such as enemy coastal defenses, ports, and aircraft. The missile launcher can be mounted on a military truck and is fired from container launchers mounted at the rear of the chassis. The HCDS includes RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II surface-launched missiles with a range of up to 75 miles, as well as radar trucks, support equipment, and test equipment. It is designed to protect friendly soil by controlling straits or preventing ships from threatening land-based targets.
The Harpoon missile system is used by several countries, including the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, Denmark, Egypt, Spain, Germany, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The Pentagon is also providing Harpoon missiles to Ukraine as part of a larger effort by the United States and its allies to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities against aggression from Russia. Denmark, a NATO ally, has also pledged to provide Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine.
