Type 23 frigate HMS ‘Montrose’ firing a Harpoon missile. Royal Navy photo
Robert Beckhusen, War Is Boring: The Royal Navy Faces a Future Without Anti-Ship Missiles
Britain could see years without one if it retires the Harpoon in the 2020s
Right now, the Royal Navy’s main surface-to-surface anti-ship weapon is the over-the-horizon Harpoon missile, which is also the primary equivalent weapon in service with the U.S. Navy since 1977. Back then, the missile soon became a workhorse that provided considerable range compared to other anti-ship weapons at the time.
With the advent of new Chinese and Russian anti-ship missiles proliferating around the world, however, that is no longer the case. And unlike the U.S. Navy, the Royal Navy will be without Harpoons or a replacement for them within a few years, turning its ships into sitting ducks.
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WNU Editor: There are some stories that you just cannot make-up .... this is one of them. And while I am sure the Royal Navy will be finding a replacement soon, it is going to be a "rush job" .... and not cheap.
