Being there . . . . to learn about the incredibly complex Harpoon missile, the most widely usedanti-ship missile (ASM) employed by the Allies. It enjoys that unique for two main reasons: itwas the first important Western ASM to exploit the then-new technology of the small, efficientturbojet. That engine gave the Harpoon about twice the range of the French Exocet in the samesmall package. Being small meant that adding the Harpoon to an existing surface ship was easyin contrast to the big Soviet anti-ship missiles. Second, and even more importantly for the USNavy, Harpoon benefited from brilliant adaption ordered in 1970. At that time, the US Naval AirSystems Command was developing a missile that US Navy patrol aircraft could use againstsurfaced Soviet submarines – – a “harpoon to hit whales.” The submarines were a major threatto US surface vessels. They had to remain on the surface to guide their long-range SS-N-3 anti-ship cruise missiles, which in turn made them vulnerable to attack. The patrol aircraft alreadyhad shorter-range air-to-surface missiles, but they needed something with much greater reachto catch the Soviet submarines while their own missiles were still in the air. When Harpoon wasconceived in 1965, the submarines and long-range Soviet missile bombers were the mainthreats to the US fleet. Such is the Introduction’s introduction, cogent, no nonsense, crammedwith historical references letting the reader know he or she is about to about to engage in theride of his or her life.“HARPOON MISSILE VS SURFACE SHIPS – – US Navy, Libya and Iran 1986 – 88”, by Lon Nordeen.Osprey Publishing/ Bloomsbury Plc., OSPREY DUEL, Engage the Enemy: 2024, 80 pages, 7 ¼” x 9¾”, softcover, $23. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.Reviewed and recommended by Don DeNeviThe author of “Harpoon Missile” has more than 40 years of experience in the aerospaceindustry, including working for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Inaddition, he managed marketing communications and business development for a variety ofMcDonnell Douglas/Boeing products including the Harpoon/SLAM-ER missile. Lon knows thefield. Add his long-term interests in aerospace, defense technology, and military history haveallowed him to write on a range of related subjects. Osprey has 12 of his books available.Thus, it’s hard to imagine this text of extremely complex machines fighting each other not beaccurate. The reading, as technically advanced as it is, if understood, is riveting. For example,more than 7,000 Harpoons were produced, with at least 30 nations stockpiling them. We areprivy to Lon Nordeen’s details played by the Harpoon missile in two Cold War flare-ups in the1980s when the US Navy employed cutting-edge weaponry in brief engagements with theLibyan and Iranian navies.Fascinating is the easy to understand accounts from the Naval aviators and sailors who usedthe Harpoon in combat. Their reports contain technical analyses of the weapon. But theessence, or core, of the text examines the role played by the Harpoon in battle during the ColdWar era, when tensions in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf saw the missile fired in
anger with horrendous results.
