Contenders to the AGM-84 Harpoon competition

Navy Harpoon Entries Readied

General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas are readying proposals for submission to the Navy this month on the Harpoon ship-attack missile for use in 1975 through the 19805. Wind tunnel test model of the General Dynamics configuration is shown above. Mockup of the McDonnell Douglas version is mounted on a Navy anti—submarine rocket (ASROC) launcher (right) and tested for compatibility on a wing mount of a McDonnell Douglas F-4 (below).

General Dynamics’ team for the proposal includes Boeing’s Aerospace Group and Honeywell’s Marine Systems Center. Major subcontractors on McDonnell Douglas’ team are Sperry Systems Management Div. of Sperry Rand and Texas Instruments. Other bidding teams are led by Hughes Aircraft, North American Rockwell and Raytheon.


Source: Aviation Week 1 March 1971

5 contenders known.
 

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Harpoon Competitors Whittled to Two
Navy has narrowed its competition for the combination of air- and surface launched Harpoon anti-shipping missile to two of the five companies which submitted proposals for development of the weapon earlier this year. The two companies, McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics Electro-Dynamic Div., must submit additional technical and financial data to the Navy during the next few days. Navy plans to choose a winner next month. McDonnell Douglas is assisted in its proposal effort by Texas Instruments, which would provide the terminal guidance seeker for Harpoon, and Sperry Rand's Systems Management Div., which would be responsible for shipboardintegration of the missile.

The General Dynamics team consists of Boeing, with responsibility for aircraft integration and missile propulsion, and Honeywell, which would handle integration of the weapon system on naval ships.

Harpoon is visualized as the Navy’s answer to the threat of Russian-built cruise missile firing ships and submarines. One version of the all weather weapon will be carried by aircraft; a second variant with an extra propulsion stage will be surface—launched. The weapon will be fired into the vicinity of a target, with approximate target coordinates secured by aircraft or spotting ships or at very short ranges by the firing ship itself. An active terminal seeker will supply guidance during final flight phase.

Navy asked the two successful contractors to supply answers to technical questions by May 15. Discussions were held between the Navy and the contractors Iast week. Further discussions are planned for May 20. The three unsuccessful Harpoon contenders were Raytheon-Ling-Temco-Vought, Hughes Aircraft-Northrop-Motorola and
North American Rockwell-AILRCA Corp.

Competitive Harpoon engine developments are under way at Garrett AiResearch and Teledyne CAE.


Source: AWST 17 May 1971
 
Navy last week selected McDonnell Douglas Corp. as prime contractor for development of the Harpoon standoff anti-ship missile. Harpoon will be designed to be launched from either shipboard or aircraft. Initial $60-million contract calls for the development and demonstration of engineering models of the missile. Major contractors associated with McDonnell Douglas in the project include Texas Instruments, responsible for the sensor/guidance package, and Sperry Systems Management Div.. which is handling shipboard integration. Other finalist in the competition had been General Dynamics Corp.

Source: AWST 28 June 1971
 
Navy may delay issuing proposed requests for its proposed Harpoon missile for as long as a year to permit additional research before it firms up its requirements (AW&ST Feb. 16, p. 11). Rocketdyne Div. of North American Rockwell and Lockheed Propulsion Co. both recently demonstrated variable-thrust, solid-rocket designs as candidates for the missile. The Rocketdyne design utilizes a variable—area nozzle which changes from maximum thrust for launch to a low-thrust position for cruise.

Source: AWST 23 Feb 1970
 
Future of Navy’s anti-ship Harpoon missile is in doubt following repeated delays in issuing proposal requests for design study contracts. The delays are partially attributable to a desire to install in the missile’s guidance a frequency agility capability to improve clutter and glint suppression, minimize fading and increase ECM protection. Studies of a radar seeker for Harpoon may be in the offing, however. The weapon is intended for air or ship launch against various surface targets, including speedy. highly maneuverable patrol boats armed with cruise missiles. Bird Engineering Research Associates, Inc., is doing Harpoon study work for the Navy.

Source: AWST 16 Feb 1970
 
Navy is exploring several interim solutions to its need for the Harpoon surface- and air-launched anti-shipping missile. Naval Air Systems Command is investigating possible use of a North American Rockwell Condor air-to—surface missile fitted with an all-weather seeker instead of the present electro—optical seeker. Naval Ordnance Systems Command is looking at a modified Standard Arm missile (AW&ST Oct. 26, p. 13) and Teledyne Ryan Firebee for deck launches against hostile ships. The Navy’s proposal requests for the design phase of the Harpoon are due soon.

Source: AWST 21 December 1970
 
Navy’s proposed Harpoon missile will be designed for launching from aircraft or surface vessels against hostile ships as a means of countering the threat of ship-launched cruise missiles and other weapons. Harpoon is an outgrowth of an earlier Navy requirement for Alsam, an air-launched ship attack missile (AW&sT July 22, 1968, p. 13). Navy considered, then discarded, the possibility of adapting either the General Dynamics surface-to-air Standard missile or the North American Rockwell air-to-surface Condor missile for the Harpoon role.

Source: AWST 3 March 1969
 
Navy plans to develop an air-launched ship-attack missile (Alsam) to be fired by naval aircraft against small, high-speed patrol boats such as the Soviet Komar and Osa classes. Alsam probably will be radar-guided and will be required to strike its target in choppy seas or in calm weather, when the high speed of the boat kicks up large wakes that otherwise confuse radar. The patrol boats carry the Styx missiles which pose a serious threat to U. S. surface vessels.

Source: AWST 22 July 1968
 
Rocketdyne Div. of North American Rockwell and Lockheed Propulsion Co. both recently demonstrated variable-thrust, solid-rocket designs as candidates for the missile. The Rocketdyne design utilizes a variable—area nozzle which changes from maximum thrust for launch to a low-thrust position for cruise.

Source: AWST 23 Feb 1970
Interesting stuff here.
 

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