A U.S. Navy littoral combat ship has launched a missile off the coast of Guam as part of a live-fire test that demonstrated the vessel’s capacity to engage a surface target from beyond visual range.
An MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial system and an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter provided targeting support for the Harpoon Block 1C missile after the service branch test-fired it from USS Coronado, the Navy said Tuesday.
Harpoon is designed to hit surface targets from surface ships, aircraft and submarines.
Capt. Lex Walker, commodore of the Destroyer Squadron 7, noted that USS Coronado’s real-world deployment of the harpoon missile represents changes to the service branch’s use of LCS platforms.
Walker added the use of LCS vessels in the larger maritime domain with regional partners will help establish a cooperative regional environment.