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What does the Russian expert say about the danger of the ‘ship killer’ Harpoon?

10/06/2022 09:01 GMT+7

Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov shared with Izvestia (Russia) that any anti-ship weapon is a dangerous thing, so it is impossible not to mention the US Harpoon missile.

“Any kind of anti-ship weapon is a dangerous thing. The Harpoon missile cannot be ignored. For all ships of the Black Sea Fleet, even large ones, they are dangerous. Russian forces operating in the northwestern part of the Black Sea will need to increase their vigilance,” Boltenkov said.

According to this expert, Ukraine and Harpoon’s new Neptune anti-ship missile are tactical missiles of the same class. Their firing range is about 200 km, the warhead weight is about 200 kg.

Boltenkov recalls that “Neptune” was created during Soviet times and that the Soviet leadership pushed for the development, adding that Ukraine took advantage of this process.

What does the Russian expert say about the danger of the 'ship killer' Harpoon?
The US is equipping Ukraine with the Harpoon anti-ship missile system. (Photo: Reuters)

“The Russian Navy is equipped with the X-35 missile similar to the Harpoon, so it is familiar with the methods of dealing with such low-flying subsonic targets,” Boltenkov stressed.

According to Boltenkov, it is possible that Denmark has transferred anti-ship missiles to Ukraine. The navy is equipped with two obsolete Peder Skram frigates with Harpoon missiles on board.

“After these ships were decommissioned, Denmark installed the Harpoon system on a wheeled vehicle chassis. And now this illiquid asset is transferred to Ukraine,” concluded the military expert.

The fact that the Ukrainian coast is strengthened by the US Harpoon anti-ship system has been announced by the country’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov earlier.

“Ukraine is receiving ground-based launchers and a corresponding number of Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The latest weapons are being supplied from Denmark, England and the Netherlands. Other countries will also participate in this process,” according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

The delivery of this weapon was reported at the end of May. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry later noted that the missile’s presence in Kiev was the result of cooperation between several countries. Harpoon will be used by well-prepared Ukrainian fighters.

In addition to Boeing’s Harpoon, the US Congress is also considering providing Ukraine with the Naval Strike Missile long-range anti-ship missile developed by Kongsberg and Raytheon Technologies. At the same time, it is emphasized that the use of both of these complexes requires long training and they are more difficult to maintain.

Harpoon is known as the most successful anti-ship missile in the world and is in service with the armed forces of more than 30 countries. It was regularly upgraded over the years, and this led to the development of the surface-to-air attack missile (SLAM) and the long-range surface-to-air missile (SLAM-ER).

Built by engineer McDonnell Douglas for the US Navy in the 1970s, the Harpoon missile has been adapted for use on the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber. Each B-52H can carry 8-12 Harpoon missiles.

Harpoon’s firepower can target a variety of land targets, including coastal defense positions, surface-to-air missile facilities, parked aircraft and even fish. critical infrastructure.

First deployed in 1977 as an all-weather anti-ship missile system, the Harpoon uses a low-altitude cruise trajectory with active radar guidance. This type of missile is capable of performing the tasks of surface-to-surface and anti-ship missiles.

Peace (translation summary)

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