US Approves $82Mln Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile Sale To India - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) The Biden administration has approved the $82 million sale of a Harpoon over-the-horizon anti-ship missile test kit to India, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Monday.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India of Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $82 million," the DSCA said in a press release.

The DSCA delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today, the release said.

The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas that uses active radar homing and flies just above the water to evade defenses.

The missile can be launched from fixed wing aircraft without a solid-fuel rocket booster, from surface ships when fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and from submarines when fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and encapsulated in a container to enable submerged launch through a torpedo tube, according to published reports.