The US, UK and other nations have purchased integrated logistics and engineering services support for their Harpoon missiles.

The Harpoon anti-ship missile was due to be retired from Royal Navy service in 2018, that however later changed. According to a government spokesperson earlier in the year:

“There is work ongoing to look at options for longer extension in service.”

According to a contract award notification:

“The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded $10,326,551 for firm-fixed-price, delivery order N0001918F0520 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This delivery order provides for procurement of Harpoon/SLAM-ER missile system and Harpoon launch systems follow-on integrated logistics and engineering services support for the Navy; and various foreign military sales (FMS) customers.

Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (91.84 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (5.47 percent); Yorktown, Virginia (2.64 percent); and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 0(.05 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2020. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,326,551 are being obligated on this award; $2,473,484 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($2,473,484; 23.95 percent); and the governments of Korea ($1,035,098; 10.02 percent); Taiwan ($779,021; 7.54 percent); Turkey ($677,959; 6.57 percent); Egypt ($635,628; 6.16 percent); Japan ($611,881; 5.93 percent); Saudi Arabia ($595,464; 5.77 percent); Australia ($445,323; 4.31 percent); United Kingdom ($406,934; 3.94 percent); India ($334,131; 3.24 percent); Canada ($316,590; 3.06 percent); Chile ($309,813; 3 percent); Singapore ($252,498; 2.45 percent); Israel ($251,591; 2.44 percent); Thailand ($228,085; 2.21 percent); Bahrain ($166,383; 1.60 percent); United Arab Emirates ($159,890; 1.55 percent); Kuwait ($133,398; 1.29 percent); Oman ($127,837; 1.24 percent); Malaysia ($121,832; 1.18 percent); Germany ($85,178; 0.82 percent); Portugal ($72,060; 0.70 percent); Netherlands ($63,884; 0.62 percent); and Denmark ($42,589; 0.41 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.”

Royal Navy ships were originally to lose anti-ship missile capability in 2018 when the Harpoon missile is withdrawn with a replacement not due until ‘around 2030’.

As we reported last year, Harriett Baldwin and her French counterpart signed an agreement to explore future long range weapons for the Royal and French Navies and Air Forces with the aim of replacing the Harpoon anti-ship missile and the Storm Shadow cruise missile as well as an array of French weapon types.

French arms procurement chief Collet-Billon said last year at the meeting:

“We are launching today a major new phase in our bilateral cooperation, by planning together a generation of missiles, successor to the Harpoon, SCALP and Storm Shadow. The FC/ASW (future cruise/anti-ship weapon) programme’s aim is to have by around 2030 a new generation of missiles.”

The missiles however will not be ready to replace Harpoon until 2030, leaving the Type 26 Frigates without any real means to engage surface warships aside from their helicopters.