At an estimated cost of $82 million, the United States okays the sale of Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) and related equipment to India to help strengthen the bilateral strategic ties and improve the security of its major defensive partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying the US Congress of this possible sale on 2 August 2021.
Strengthening US-Indian strategic relationship
The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and enhance the national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of its major defensive partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.
The proposed Foreign Military Sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing it with flexible and efficient Harpoon missile maintenance capabilities to ensure maximum force readiness.
Harpoon Missile
First deployed in 1977, Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system. It has a low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory with active radar guidance. It is the world's most successful anti-ship missile and is in service with the armed forces of more than 30 countries.
The specifications and other related facts about the Harpoon anti-ship missile are mentioned in the table below.
| Originated From | United States |
| In Service | 1977 |
| Class | Subsonic Cruise Missile |
| Basing | Fixed-wing aircraft, surface ships, submarine |
| Length | 3.8 m (air-launched), 4.6 m (ship & sub-launched) |
| Diameter | 0.343 m |
| Launch Weight | 515.25 kg (air-launched), 690.8 kg (ship & sub-launched) |
| Guidance | Inertial, semi-active radar |
| Payload | 224 kg |
| Warhead | HE fragmentation |
| Propulsion | Turbojet, solid propellent |
| Range | 90 - 240 km |
| Speed | 0.85 Mach (High Subsonic), 291.55 m/s |
| Status | Operational |
| Possessed by | United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and Venezuela |
Background
This comes after the Government of India requested to buy one Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS), along with one Harpoon Intermediate Level maintenance station, spare and repair parts, support, and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training, US Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and programme support. The estimated cost of JCTS is $82 million.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US in June 2016. At that time, the US recognised India as its "Major Defence Partner" and committed to facilitating technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners, and industry collaboration for defence co-production and co-development.
The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Missouri will be the principal contractor. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement required by India will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s).
It is worth mentioning that India will have no difficulty absorbing the anti-ship missile system into its armed forces. Also, the proposed sale will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles: The next Armour in the Indian Navy
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