ST. LOUIS, June 27, 1996 -- The date is June 21, 1971, and the headline reads -- "NAVY SELECTS MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AS PRIME CONTRACTOR FOR NEW ANTI-SHIP MISSILE."
Thus began the legacy of the Harpoon family of missiles 25 years ago.
"Harpoon has been the mainstay of the U.S. Navy's anti-ship arsenal for as long as most of us can remember," said Capt. Rob Freedman, anti-ship missile program manager for the U.S. Navy. "We supported the program in 1971 and continue to support it today for foreign military sales. For quality, affordability and reliability -- you just can't do better than Harpoon."
"The Harpoon missile is a phenomenal success story, both for us, the contractor and the customer," said Bob Krieger, general manager for McDonnell Douglas missile systems. "Twenty-four international customers have shown their confidence in the program by spending their defense dollars on Harpoon missiles. With everyone cutting back on defense spending, that's a pretty telling statement."
Originally dubbed Air Launched Ship Attack Missile, or ALSAM, Harpoon has evolved into the U.S. Navy's primary anti-ship missile and the longest-running line of cruise missiles ever produced.
Unsettling world events in the '60s -- the Soviet Union stockpiling missiles in Cuba, and an Egyptian patrol boat firing a Russian Styx missile that sank the Israeli destroyer "Eilat" -- convinced the U.S. government that America must be prepared to counter such threats. The idea for a common missile for both attack and patrol aircraft was born.
The U.S. Navy wanted one weapon to satisfy two modes of operation -- air launch attack of surface vessels in forward areas and surface ship attack against hostile surface ships and patrol craft.
Five teams submitted bids in response to the Navy's request for proposal. After an initial evaluation, the U.S. Navy selected the McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics' teams for final evaluation. Prime contractor McDonnell Douglas teamed with Texas Instruments and Sperry. General Dynamics teamed with Boeing and Honeywell. The winner -- the McDonnell Douglas team.
The contract was valued at approximately $60 million for development and successful demonstration of a number of engineering model missiles during a two-year period.
In December 1972, just 18 months after contract award, the first guided Harpoon, an air-launched missile, hit its target.
Through the years Harpoon has proven to be a reliable missile for the U.S. fleet and our allies with a 100 percent success rate in combat.
Twenty-five years after that initial contract award, McDonnell Douglas continues to produce the Harpoon missile for sale internationally. The Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM), a Harpoon derivative, has responded to threats in both Operation Desert Storm and Bosnia. During Desert Storm, SLAM earned the reputation for being the missile that could "see" its target with such precision that a second SLAM missile could enter the hole created by the first.
The SLAM Expanded Response (ER) is under development by McDonnell Douglas. SLAM ER retains the reliable Harpoon propulsion system, but provides a completely new precision guidance system, new integration with the SLAM seeker and advanced data link, new reactive titanium core warhead and planar wings. SLAM ER will provide the Navy with a reliable, lethal, survivable missile system that is easy to employ outside the reach of enemy air defense systems. The program is currently on cost and on schedule with first flight planned for 1997.
Sea SLAM, another member of the Harpoon missile family, recently completed two successful test firings off Pt. Mugu, Calif. Sea SLAM would provide the U.S. Navy surface fleet with a precision land-strike capability.
And, McDonnell Douglas has entered its GRAND SLAM PLUS configuration in the United Kingdom's conventionally armed standoff missile (CASOM) competition.
Affordable, low risk, combat proven Harpoon and Harpoon derivatives. Twenty-five years and counting.
96-154
McDonnell Douglas
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