Boeing will support Taiwan’s Harpoon Coastal Defense System under a new contract valued $220 million awarded to the company on Tuesday.
“This order provides non-recurring engineering in support of configuration efforts for the Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS), to include the Harpoon Block II Update Grade B Canister Launch All Up Round Missiles, the HCDS launch system, and Harpoon weapon station test and production equipment for the government of Taiwan,” a U.S. DoD release today said.
Work is expected to be completed in July 2023.
Over 300 Harpoon missiles have been sold to the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) for its F-16 A/B Block 20 fleet and the Taiwanese Navy, which operates four guided-missile destroyers and eight guided-missile frigates with the capability of carrying the Harpoon, including the eight former U.S. Navy Knox-class frigates and the four former USN Kidd-class destroyers which have been sold to Taiwan. The two Zwaardvis/Hai Lung submarines and 12 P-3C Orion aircraft can also use the missile. The eight Cheng Kung-class frigates, despite being based on the U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry class, have Harpoon capabilities deleted from their combat systems, and funding to restore it has so far been denied. Taiwan has now decided to switch to the Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III.
