Navy conducts first LCS Harpoon missile test

PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Hawaii, July 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has conducted the first live fire over-the-horizon missile test from an LCS using a Harpoon Block IC missile, the sea service announced Monday.

The test firing from the USS Coronado took place July 19 during the Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, exercise, the Navy said in a statement.

The test validated the operation of the Harpoon on board an LCS and provided engineering data that will support future ship upgrades.

It supports the Navy's larger distributed lethality concept to strengthen naval power, the service said.

Installing the "off-the-shelf" Harpoon aboard the Coronado involved a collaboration of fleet and industry partners that included ship designers, system design and sustainment experts and installers.

It was incorporated on the LCS in less than four months.

Harpoon is an all-weather weapon designed to execute anti-ship missions against a range of surface targets.

It can be launched from surface ships, submarines and aircraft, and is used on 50 Navy cruisers and destroyers.

The test was part of a larger Navy strategy to increase the lethality and survivability of the LCS.

While the demonstration represents the first over-the-horizon Harpoon test from an Independence-variant LCS in an operational setting, the Navy said no decision has been reached on which over-the-horizon missile will be integrated into the LCS platform.

That decision will be determined by a future competitive contract award.