The Harpoon Missile at (Almost) 50: How a Cold War Whale-Hunter Became the Free World’s Ship-Killer, and Why It Refuses to Retire

The article traces the 50-year evolution of the Harpoon anti-ship missile, originally designed in the 1960s to target surfaced Soviet submarines (dubbed 'whales'). After the 1967 sinking of the Israeli destroyer Eilat by Soviet Styx missiles, the U.S. Navy repurposed the Harpoon as its first dedicated ship-killing missile. Entering service in 1977, it became the Western world's most widely fielded anti-ship weapon, with nearly 6,000 delivered to 30 nations. In July 2026, the missile's story turned again: Taiwan activated a new Littoral Combat Command centered on hundreds of truck-mounted Harpoons, while the U.S. Navy closed out the classic Block II production run (Lot 91) and began production of an updated variant. The article highlights the Harpoon's adaptability—air, surface, submarine launch—and its enduring relevance despite being phased out of some U.S. fleet use.