Harpoon Employment in Naval Antisurface Warfare (ASUW)
Abstract
Current Soviet naval doctrine encompasses a strong blue water surface navy to project sea power to lines of communication throughout the world. As a result, the Soviet Navy is dramatically increasing its size and threat capability. To counter this threat, a hunter-killer team of the P-3C Orion and the B-52G Stratofortress with Harpoon anti-ship missiles could be used in an offensive role to relieve the pressure on U.S. Navy carrier battle groups. This paper develops this concept in detail by first discussing historical perspectives of the airborne anti-ship missile in the Falklands War and the USS Stark incident. Then, the current Soviet and U.S. force structure in the Pacific and the operating characteristics of the P-3C and B-52G will be discussed. Detailed techniques of employment, including discussions of emission control and atmospheric ducting along with suggested future improvements are also covered.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA202045
Entities
People
- Frederick E. Grosick
- Mark W. Petersen
- Patrick L. Massey
Organizations
- Air War College