Harpoon Missile vs Surface Ships: US Navy, Libya and Iran 1986–88
By Lon Nordeen, Illustrated by Jim Laurier
Osprey Duel Series #134
Softcover, 80 pages, bibliography, and index
Published by Osprey Publishing, January 2024
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1472859204
Dimensions: 7.3 x 9.7 x 0.3 inches
The Harpoon anti-ship missile program began in the 1960s as a design study to give the United States Navy a weapon to use against surfaced submarines. In the 1970s then-CNO ADM Elmo Zumwalt greatly accelerated the program when it was realized that USN surface combatants had lagged behind their Soviet counterparts in both offensive and defensive weaponry. The resulting missile soon was adapted for use by surface ships (RGM-84), aircraft (AGM-84), and submarines (UGM-84). Later the design also formed the basis for an air-launched land-attack variant known as the Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM). Harpoon missiles were produced in large numbers and equipped several classes of USN and allied nation vessels as their primary anti-ship armament.
In this book author Lon Nordeen has drawn upon U.S. archival sources and narratives to detail the two engagements where Harpoon missiles were fired in anger by USN aircraft and surface ships. These were the 1986 engagements against the Libyan Navy in the Gulf of Sidra and Operation Preying Mantis in 1988 against the Iranians in the Persian Gulf. Both of these actions are covered in detail, but the earlier 1980 use of Harpoon by the Iranians against Iraqi Osa missile boats is only briefly mentioned. Many readers will be surprised to learn that the Iranian missile boat Joshan also fired a Harpoon at the USS Wainright (CG-28) during Preying Mantis before she was destroyed, this engagement is discussed from the American point of view.
This is one of the more interesting volumes in the Osprey Duel series as it documents in detail two of the earliest Cold War “war at sea” engagements fought by the USN and gives several insights into how the American Navy conducts these operations. The author presents the situational overview and sequence of events intermixed with anecdotal accounts from the people directly involved. On the down side the author tends to jump back and forth between the two incidents rather than presenting them strictly sequentially, and only U.S. sources are used so there is no opportunity to hear from the Libyan or Iranian participants. Overall though, this is a fascinating subject for anyone interested in modern naval warfare, recommended!
Inch High Guy 