Boeing has approached the South Korean navy with informal proposals to upgrade its stock of Harpoon anti-shipping missiles to Block II standard.
"We have had discussions with South Korea on Block II, and it's now a question of them determining their priorities and the timing," says Boeing.
Block II will be the production standard from 2000, with improved guidance and upgraded software to add 15-20 years to the missile's life, according to the manufacturer. Boeing says that South Korea now has more than 300 Harpoons, in a mix of Block IC and IG configurations, and is the only country to operate the Harpoon in all four versions (land, sea, air and submarines).
The current Block IG standard has newer software and the ability to re-attack a target if it misses.
The Block II missile replaces the current version's mid-course guidance unit, based on a strap-down gyro, with a guidance control unit (GCU) based on a fully integrated inertial/satellite navigation system with a ring laser gyro.
The GCU allows the missile to navigate most of the course to its target more accurately.
Source: Flight International