US Anti-Ship Missile 'Harpoon' That Angered China

On October 26th, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the export license for the Harpoon coastal defense system to Taiwan has passed the U.S. Congress. Photo by Danish Navy

[Military Analyst Kim Daeyoung] On October 26th (local time), the Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the export approval for the "Harpoon Coastal Defense System" to Taiwan had passed through the U.S. Congress. The Harpoon Coastal Defense System is the land-to-ship version of the Harpoon anti-ship missile developed by the United States, and 100 vehicles and launchers, 400 missiles, and 25 radar-equipped trucks are scheduled to be sold to Taiwan.

China strongly opposed various U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, including the Harpoon system. On November 4th (local time), Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing, "The United States has recklessly interfered in China's internal affairs, seriously harmed China's sovereignty and security interests, and sent the wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces." He also said that China "will take just and necessary measures according to the development of the situation."

The Harpoon anti-ship missile used in the Harpoon Coastal Defense System is employed by over 30 countries, including the United States and South Korea, and more than 7,500 units have been produced, making it one of the most widely produced anti-ship missiles currently in existence. The Taiwanese military has operated Harpoon anti-ship missiles on some naval combat ships and Air Force F-16 fighter jets. However, this is the first time the land-to-ship version is being introduced.

The Harpoon Coastal Defense System to be introduced in the future is planned to be deployed to the Hai Feng (Haifeng) Battalion of the Taiwanese Navy. The Hai Feng Battalion is known as a brigade-level unit specializing in operating land-to-ship missiles. Until now, the Hai Feng Battalion has mainly operated Taiwan’s domestically developed subsonic anti-ship missile Hsiung Feng (Xiong Feng)-2 and the supersonic anti-ship missile Hsiung Feng-3. Although the exact number of deployed land-to-ship missiles has never been disclosed, Taiwanese media reports estimate that the number of land-to-ship missiles in possession reaches several hundred.

Land-to-ship missiles have the characteristic of being able to operate on platforms that are much cheaper than those used for anti-ship missiles launched from fighter jets or warships. Fighter jets or warships cost tens to hundreds of billions of Korean won per unit, whereas land-to-ship missiles use military or commercial trucks, making them relatively inexpensive. Additionally, they can fire anti-ship missiles and quickly relocate, which also enhances their survivability.

The Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan will acquire are Block 2 versions with a range of 124 km. Although this is somewhat shorter than Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng-2, they can precisely strike warships located in complex coastal terrain or fixed important military facilities. With this capability, in the event of a contingency, they could inflict serious damage on Chinese forces’ landing assembly points or ports. The Taiwanese Navy plans to newly establish 10 or 12 companies equipped with the Harpoon Coastal Defense System.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.