Harpoon is the U.S. Navy’s long-running over-the-horizon anti-ship missile family, designed to give aircraft, ships, and submarines a common maritime strike weapon. Its value comes from broad integration as much as from any one platform: the same missile family can support sea-control missions from multiple launch points. That makes Harpoon a foundational Western anti-ship missile rather than a narrow aircraft store.
The Navy describes Harpoon as an all-weather, over-the-horizon anti-ship missile with air, surface, and submarine launch applications. Later Block II and Block II+ work improved navigation, datalink options, target selectivity, and resistance to electronic countermeasures. For readers, the capability story is about giving commanders a flexible maritime strike tool across many force packages.
Harpoon remains relevant because inventories and launch integrations are already widespread, making modernization attractive even as newer missiles enter service. NAVAIR’s 2026 test activity shows ongoing sustainment and update work for the weapon system. The page should therefore explain both its Cold War origins and why navies still invest in keeping it usable.
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