The US Air Force (USAF) has integrated the Boeing AGM-84 anti-ship missile with a Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter, in an effort demonstrate the rapid integration of new capabilities.
The project integrated the weapon with the F-16 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and was followed by an operational taxi test, according to the USAF’s 53rd Test and Evaluation Wing.
While nations such as Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and others can deploy the AGM-84 from their F-16s, this is a capability that the USAF has previously not pursued.
“Traditional weapons integration can take years, but this test showcased a method to accelerate the process without costly aircraft modifications, giving leaders a decisive edge to rapidly field advanced weaponry, outpace adversaries and enhance operational flexibility across multiple platforms,” says the USAF’s 53rd Test and Evaluation Wing.
The work mainly focused on software integration and did not require “extensive updates to the aircraft itself”.
The project sets the stage for rapid integrations involving other platforms and weapons.
Prior to the F-16 integration the only USAF type that could deploy the Harpoon was the Boeing B-52 bomber. The weapon can also be carried by the US Navy’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter and P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
It is not clear if the USAF will pursue the widespread deployment of the Harpoon aboard its fighters, but in recent years it has worked to expand its anti-ship capabilities.
The Lockheed AGM-154C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile is cleared for the USAF’s Boeing B-1B bomber and will be integrated with fighters such as the Boeing F-15E, F-15EX and Lockheed F-35A.
The Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bomber has also gained an anti-ship capability. In 2024 the B-2 demonstrated the ability to strike enemy ships with the new QUICKSINK munition. One test, in the Gulf of Mexico, saw a B-2 use a QUICKSINK to sink a retired roll-on/roll-off vessel.
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s QUICKSINK effort is designed to replicate the ship-killing capability of the US Navy’s Mk 48 torpedo in a cheaper, more-flexible air-delivered platform.
In 2023, then-Pacific Air Forces commander General Kenneth Wilsbach said that the ability to sink ships will be of major importance in achieving air superiority in a conflict with China over Taiwan.
“One thing that people often don’t think about with respect to air superiority is weapons to be able to kill ships,” said Wilsbach.
“And because of the way that our adversary thinks about anti access/area denial [A2/AD], they’re going to put ships out probably to the east of Taiwan, and those ships put up an [A2/AD] weapons engagement zone that comes from the missiles that they have on the ships. And when they take away that airspace, it takes away our ability to have freedom of manoeuvre, and to create effects via airpower until you can attrite those ships.”
