The Harpoon is a long-range, all-weather, anti-ship missile developed by the United States and used by more than 30 countries. It was first introduced in 1977 and has undergone several upgrades and variants over the years. The Harpoon can be launched from aircraft, ships, submarines, or coastal batteries, and can fly at low altitudes to evade enemy defenses. The Harpoon uses a turbojet engine and a solid-fuel booster to achieve a maximum speed of about 864 km/h and a range of up to 220 km. The Harpoon has an active radar guidance system that allows it to home in on its target in the terminal phase. The Harpoon carries a 221 kg warhead that detonates on impact or after penetrating the hull of the target ship. The Harpoon is one of the most successful and widely used anti-ship missiles in the world, and has been involved in several naval conflicts, such as the Iran-Iraq War and the Russo-Ukraine War.

New hypersonic weapon for the US Navy is under development. How it would be better than existing Harpoon anti-ship missiles? Also discus the advantages of hypersonic missiles over conventional supersonic or subsonic weapons in the context of Naval warfare.

The US Navy is working on a new hypersonic weapon that could revolutionize naval warfare in the near future. The weapon, called the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system, is a boost-glide weapon that can fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) and strike targets at long ranges with high accuracy and lethality. The CPS system is expected to be deployed on the Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers by 2025, and could also be adapted for other platforms such as submarines and aircraft carriers. Additionally, the weapon system will be carried out by Virginia Class nuclear-powered submarines (SSBN) of the USN using same launcher but additional integration work will be carried out.

The CPS system would offer several advantages over the existing Harpoon anti-ship missile, which is a subsonic weapon that has been in service since the 1970s. The Harpoon has a range of about 70 miles and a speed of about 500 miles per hour, which makes it vulnerable to detection and interception by modern air defenses and electronic warfare systems. The Harpoon also has a relatively small warhead of about 500 pounds, which limits its ability to inflict damage on large or hardened targets.

The CPS system, on the other hand, would have a range of over 1,000 miles and a speed of over 3,800 miles per hour, which would make it much harder to detect and intercept by enemy sensors and countermeasures. The CPS system would also have a larger warhead of about 2,000 pounds, which would enable it to penetrate and destroy heavily armored or fortified targets. The CPS system would also have a shorter flight time than the Harpoon, which would reduce the reaction time of the adversary and increase the probability of a successful strike.

The advantages of hypersonic missiles over conventional supersonic or subsonic weapons are not limited to the naval domain. Hypersonic weapons could also provide strategic benefits for the US military in terms of deterrence, escalation control, and prompt global strike. Hypersonic weapons could deter potential adversaries from engaging in aggression or coercion by demonstrating the US’s ability to respond quickly and decisively to any threat. Hypersonic weapons could also help control escalation in a conflict by providing conventional options for striking high-value targets without resorting to nuclear weapons. Hypersonic weapons could also enable prompt global strike by allowing the US to strike any target on earth within minutes or hours, regardless of geographic distance or access denial.

Hypersonic weapons are not without challenges, however. Developing and testing hypersonic weapons is technically complex and costly, and requires overcoming several engineering hurdles such as aerodynamics, propulsion, guidance, navigation, control, thermal protection, and warhead design. Hypersonic weapons also pose operational challenges such as ensuring reliable communication, coordination, and command and control among different platforms and domains. Hypersonic weapons also raise legal and ethical issues such as ensuring compliance with international law, avoiding collateral damage and civilian casualties, and maintaining strategic stability and crisis stability with other nuclear-armed states.

The US Navy is not alone in pursuing hypersonic weapons. Other countries such as Russia and China are also developing and testing their own hypersonic weapons systems, which could pose serious threats to US interests and allies in the future. The US Navy must therefore continue to invest in research and development, testing and evaluation, acquisition and procurement, and operational integration of hypersonic weapons to maintain its edge in naval warfare and ensure its readiness for any contingency.

Shahzad Masood Roomi

Shahzad Masood Roomi is founding member and, editor security and geopolitics at GCW. He is IT graduate and has more than 10 years experience of being a  geopolitics and defense affairs analyst. He focuses on IR, geopolitics, strategic studies, maritime security, cybersecurity issues, military aviation, history and geography. His work has published in national and international media outlets.