HARPOON MISSILES

The Harpoon missile carried by San Jacinto is a surface-to-surface anti-ship missile. Carried in an eight tube installation on the fantail, each missile is fired from the tube using a rocket booster. When the booster burns out the turbojet engine takes over, carrying the missile to it's target. The missile is guided inertially until the terminal stage of the flight, when an on-board radar locks on to the target. Versions of the Harpoon are also carried by submarines and aircraft.