Taiwan to deploy first US-made Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers by mid-2025.

According to The Liberty Times on May 2, 2025, Taiwan will soon receive the first shipment of land-launched RGM-84L-4 Block II (U) Harpoon anti-ship missile systems from the United States. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reportedly confirmed in a budget unfreezing report submitted to the Legislative Yuan that five missile launcher vehicles and one radar vehicle were formally transferred during the first quarter of 2025. The U.S. is expected to provide transportation documentation and coordinate sea shipment to ensure the systems arrive in Taiwan before the end of the first half of the year.
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The Harpoon has been used by more than 30 countries and has been launched from a variety of platforms, including aircraft, surface ships, submarines, and truck-mounted coastal batteries. (Picture source: US DoD)

This delivery is part of Taiwan’s acquisition of 100 launch units and 400 RGM-84L-4 Block II (U) missiles under a ten-year procurement program worth NT$86.6 billion (approximately USD 2.7 billion), approved for the 2021–2030 period. The procurement objective is to enhance Taiwan’s ability to strike hostile naval formations from land, in line with the strategic emphasis on land-based sea denial. The full acquisition is divided into two delivery phases: the first phase comprises 32 launch units scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2026, and the second phase includes the remaining 68 units, to be delivered before the end of 2028. Some supporting equipment was delivered in the second half of 2024.

The Ministry of National Defense outlined coordination mechanisms to monitor and support the program’s implementation. The Navy will hold monthly Project Integration Product Team (PIPT) meetings, biannual Project Management Reviews (PMR), and biweekly meetings or video conferences with the U.S. project office. These efforts are designed to track domestic engineering progress and foreign equipment delivery timelines to meet quality and schedule expectations.

The missile variant procured is the RGM-84L-4 Block II (U), an updated version of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system. The “U” denotes a newer performance enhancement configuration. Boeing’s official data indicates the Block II has a range exceeding 67 nautical miles (approximately 124 kilometers). However, according to statements made by ROC Navy officers to the Legislative Yuan, the missiles purchased by Taiwan are considered to have greater range than standard U.S. versions, with external estimates placing the range at over 148 kilometers.

The Harpoon missile family, developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security), has been in service since 1977. Designed as an all-weather, over-the-horizon anti-ship missile, the Harpoon uses a sea-skimming flight profile and active radar guidance. The RGM-84 variant includes a solid-fuel rocket booster to assist initial launch from surface-based platforms, including coastal defense trucks such as those delivered to Taiwan. The missile weighs 1,523 pounds (approximately 691 kilograms) including the booster, and carries a 488-pound (221-kilogram) high-explosive warhead. It is powered by a Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet engine, producing more than 600 pounds of thrust. The missile measures 4.6 meters in length for surface and submarine-launched variants and 3.8 meters for air-launched versions, with a 34.3-centimeter diameter and 91.4-centimeter wingspan.

Harpoon Block II integrates GPS-aided inertial navigation and software systems based on the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response), allowing it to engage both ships and land targets. The guidance system includes radar altimeters, selective availability anti-spoofing module (SAASM) GPS receivers, and the option for mid-course updates. This configuration enables it to function in near-shore environments, providing targeting capabilities against vessels near coastlines or within narrow maritime corridors.

The Harpoon missile family, developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security), has been in service since 1977 as an all-weather, over-the-horizon anti-ship missile. (Picture source: US DoD)

Taiwan’s Air Force and Navy have operated various versions of the Harpoon for decades. At least 339 Harpoon missiles have been sold to Taiwan’s Air Force for use on F-16A/B Block 20 fighters, while the Navy employs them on Knox-class and Kidd-class warships, and P-3C Orion patrol aircraft. The Harpoon launch capability has been removed from Taiwan’s eight Cheng Kung-class frigates, despite being present in the original U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry-class design; funding to restore this capability has not been approved, and the Navy has shifted focus to indigenous systems such as the Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III. Taiwan’s Zwaardvis-class (Hai Lung) submarines and its P-3C fleet are also configured to use the missile.

The RGM-84L-4 Block II (U) variant is one of several within the Harpoon family. Other configurations include the air-launched AGM-84, the submarine-launched UGM-84, and the encapsulated UGM-84L for submerged launch. The Block II version was introduced in the early 2000s, and subsequent variants like the Block II+ and Block II+ ER have included datalink capability and extended range options. The Block II+ ER, for example, was projected to reach ranges up to 310 kilometers, but development remains limited. A planned Block III was cancelled in 2009.

The Harpoon has been used by more than 30 countries and has been launched from a variety of platforms, including aircraft (F/A-18, F-16, B-52, P-3, P-8), surface ships (battleships, frigates, destroyers), submarines (Type 209, Collins-class), and truck-mounted coastal batteries. It has seen combat in conflicts such as the Iran–Iraq War, the 1986 Gulf of Sidra incident, and Operation Praying Mantis in 1988, where Harpoons were used by U.S. forces against Iranian naval vessels. It was also employed by Ukrainian forces in 2022 to sink the Russian tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh near Snake Island. In 2020, Boeing secured a $3.1 billion contract to continue Harpoon and SLAM-ER production through 2028, including a range of FMS partners such as Saudi Arabia and India.

India has integrated the Harpoon Block II on its Jaguar strike fighters and P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has authorized multiple sales to India since 2010, including submarine-launched variants for the Shishumar-class submarines. Harpoon integration has also been completed on South Korea’s F-15K fighters, and the U.S. Air Force recently tested noninvasive integration on its own F-16s in early 2025 at Nellis Air Force Base, using only software adjustments to allow missile compatibility.

Boeing’s Harpoon production line remains active, supported by a new 35,000-square-foot facility completed in 2021 to meet demand from FMS clients. According to Boeing and DSCA, more than 7,500 Harpoon missiles have been produced and delivered globally.

The land-based Harpoon launchers delivered to Taiwan are based on mobile coastal defense systems similar to those used previously by Denmark and more recently by Ukraine. These platforms are intended to provide flexibility in deployment and survivability in dispersed operations. As deliveries continue through 2028, Taiwan’s integration of land-based Harpoon Block II (U) systems will be monitored alongside other procurement efforts to assess overall improvements in coastal defense capability.