Boeing To Deliver Harpoon Missiles | Israel Stops Attempted Cyberattack | Japan To Build A JSDF Base On Mage Islands

Americas

Boeing won a $15.6 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 25 Harpoon Block II+ captive air training missiles and 24 tactical missiles. Harpoon Block II is an over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile manufactured by Boeing Defence, Space & Security. It is the world’s superior anti-ship missile capable of performing land-strike and anti-ship missions. The all-weather missile can engage a wide variety of land-based targets, including coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, aircraft, port or industrial facilities, and naval ships anchored in ports. Work will take place in Missouri, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Alabama, Minnesota, Arizona and Iowa. Estimated completion will be in August 2023.

Capco won a $13.3 million contract for the manufacture of M943 impulse cartridges used on B-1B and B-52H aircraft during the ejection sequence. The deal includes a five-year ordering period with no options. The B-52H is the US Air Force’s long-range, large-payload multirole bomber and is known as the Stratofortress or the Buff. It is the USAF’s principal strategic nuclear and conventional weapons platform that supports the US Navy in anti-surface and submarine warfare missions. Work will take place in Colorado. Estimated completion will be by August 2025.

Middle East & Africa

An attempted cyberattack on Israeli defense companies was stopped, the country’s Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. Government officials said the attack came from an “international cyber group called ‘Lazarus,'” which used fake profiles on the social media platform LinkedIn in an attempt to gain access to computer systems. The scheme aimed to send corrupt computer files hidden in job offers from impersonated CEOs and human resources offices at Israeli high-tech firm in order to eventually gather sensitive information, officials said. Israel did not identify a foreign country as the attacker. The cyberattacks were discovered in real time, with no interruption to the work of the defense companies, the Defense Ministry said.

Europe

According to the British Ministry of Defense, a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft has flown from its base at Kinloss Barracks this morning to support Border Force Operations in the English Channel. The Poseidon made its operational debut last week tracking a Russian warship near the UK coast, it is now looking for dinghies. The task was previously performed by an A400M Atlas transport aircraft. The P-8 Poseidon is designed to conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction, along with an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) role. This involves carrying torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and other weapons.

The fourth remotely piloted aircraft of NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Force has arrived at the Italian Air Force Base in Sigonella, Italy. NATO say that the aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, USA, at 18:33 local time on July 25th and landed at Sigonella at 16:20 local time the following day, almost 22 hours later. The arrival of the fourth aircraft represents another successful step for NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance Force. Less than two weeks after the landing of the third RQ-4D remotely piloted aircraft, also called ‘Phoenix’, the NATO AGS Force’s fleet of five total aircraft is near completion.

Asia-Pacific

The Japanese Ministry of Defense revealed plans to build a Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) base, as well as a training site for US carrier-based aircraft on Mage Island off Kagoshima Prefecture. Reportedly, the new base, where between 150 and 200 JSDF personnel are set to be stationed, will enable field carrier landing practice (FCLP) for the US Navy (USN) once or twice a year. At the base, the JSDF will practice take-offs and landings with its future shipborne F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, as well as to carry out drills with several other aircraft, including its recently acquired MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

Today’s Video

Watch: Defence Updates #1030 – Hypersonic HSTDV Test Again, China On Gurkha Soldier, HAL LCH Operation LAC

Ships Ahoy! The Harpoon Missile Family

The sub-sonic, wave-skimming GM-84 Harpoon is the US Navy’s sole anti-shipping missile, with the minor exception of small helicopter-borne AGM-119B Penguin missiles. The Harpoon has been adapted into several variants, and exported to many navies around the world. At present, the Harpoon family includes AGM-84 air, RGM-84 sea/land, and UGM-84 submarine-launched versions. Variants such as the Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles and the upgraded AGM-84K SLAM – Expanded Response will also be covered in this DID FOCUS Article. It describes the missiles themselves, and covers global contracts involving this family.

The Harpoon family’s best known competitor is the French/MBDA M38/39/40 Exocet, but recent years have witnessed a growing competitive roster at both the subsonic (Israel’s >Gabriel family, Russia’s SS-N-27 Klub family, Saab’s RBS15, Kongsberg’s stealthy NSM, China’s YJ-82/C-802 used by Hezbollah in Lebanon), and supersonic (Russia’s SS-N-22 Sunburn/Moskit, SS-N-26 Yakhont, and some SS-N-27 Klub variants, India’s SS-N-26 derived PJ-10 BrahMos) tiers.