The Diplomat:
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft fired its first ATM-84J Harpoon medium-range anti-ship/land-attack missile during this year’s multinational Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise, bringing the P-8A closer to achieving full operational capability, the Australian Department of Defense (DoD) said in a statement.
The Harpoon, an all-weather, over-the-horizon, sea-skimming anti-ship/land-attack missile, was launched from the P-8A at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, off the coast of Hawaii, on July 12 as part of a so-called SINKEX (Sinking Exercise). According to the Australian DoD, the Harpoon “successfully struck its target”: USS Racine (LST-1191), a decommissioned Newport-class Landing Ship, which was placed 55 nautical miles north of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
“The successful launch of the Harpoon requires a significant effort from a range of specialist personnel,” Australian Minister of Defense Marise Payne said in a statement. “Our partnership with the United States Navy has allowed us access to the Range Facility, a long standing agreement which has seen the successful testing of many Australian Defense Force weapons systems across both Air Force and Navy.”
