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69-502: ASROC started development as the Rocket Assisted Torpedo (RAT) program by Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in the early 1950s to develop a surface warship anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon to counter the new post-World War II submarines which ran quieter, at much higher speed and could attack from much longer range with high speed homing torpedoes. In addition, the goal was to take advantage of modern sonars with

138-642: A $ 3.1 billion deal. India will also receive Harpoon missiles under FMS in a $ 155 million deal. In late May 2022, Denmark sent Harpoon launchers and missiles to Ukraine to help their war effort , and shortly after, the Netherlands sent additional missiles. In mid-June 2022, the US announced that they would supply Ukraine with Harpoon launchers and missiles, and the UK Defence Secretary said that they also were looking into supplying Ukraine with

207-414: A complete research and development establishment. During 1944, NOTS worked on the development and testing of the 3.5-inch , 5-inch , HVAR and 11.75-inch (Tiny Tim) rockets. Manhattan Project funding was used to construct a new airfield at NOTS, with three runways, 10,000 feet (3,000 m), 7,700 feet (2,300 m) and 9,000 feet (2,700 m) long, each 200 feet (61 m) wide to accommodate

276-412: A diameter of 35 cm (13.75 in) and length of 64 cm (25.3 in). Following payload separation, the unguided W44 sank quickly to a predetermined depth where the 10- kiloton warhead detonated. The nuclear-armed ASROC was never used in combat. W44-armed ASROC missiles were retired by 1989, when all types of nuclear depth bombs were removed from deployment. One of the first ASROC installations

345-451: A much larger detection range. An extended range torpedo delivered by parachute from the air would allow warships the stand-off capability to attack hostile submarines with very little advance notice to the hostile submarine. The RAT program came in three phases: RAT-A, RAT-B and RAT-C. RAT-A and its follow-on, RAT-B, were compact and economical stand-off weapons for smaller warships, but were determined to be either unreliable or had too short

414-443: A new lighter 300 lb (140 kg) warhead and a more fuel-efficient engine with electronic fuel controls. Boeing offered the missile as the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship frigate upgrade over-the-horizon anti-ship missile as a cost-effective missile upgrade option; complete Next Gen Harpoons would cost approximately as much as a Block II at $ 1.2 million each, with upgrades for an existing missile costing half that. The version

483-461: A range. RAT-C was developed as a stand-off ASW weapon that used a nuclear depth charge. This required a range of at least 8,000 yards (7,300 m) to escape potential damage from the underwater blast. The RAT-C was considerably larger than the previous RAT program rockets to accommodate the extended range needed and was for larger warships. After the failure of both the RAT-A and RAT-B programs, RAT-C

552-710: Is a large military installation in California that supports the research, testing and evaluation programs of the United States Navy . It is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Installations Command , and was originally known as Naval Ordnance Test Station ( NOTS ). The installation is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles (240 km) north of Los Angeles . Occupying land in three counties – Kern , San Bernardino , and Inyo –

621-759: Is also called the Harpoon Block II+ ER. Boeing claims the Block II+ ER is superior to the Naval Strike Missile through its improved turbojet giving it greater range and active radar-homing seeker for all-weather operation, as well as a lighter but "more lethal" warhead. Test shots in 2017 had been confirmed. In May 2017, Boeing revealed it was no longer offering the upgraded Harpoon for the frigate OTH missile requirement, but would continue development of it. In 1981 and 1982, there were two accidental launches of Harpoon missiles: one by

690-447: Is an all-weather, over-the-horizon , anti-ship missile manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security ). The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and later AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response) are cruise missile variants. The regular Harpoon uses active radar homing and flies just above the water to evade defenses. The missile can be launched from: In 1965,

759-568: Is known as the R-2508 Special Use Airspace Complex . A 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 5, 2019 , whose epicenter was within the boundaries of NAWS China Lake, resulted in the facility being temporarily evaluated as "not mission capable" due to damage. The installation is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles (240 km) north of Los Angeles . Occupying land in three counties – Kern , San Bernardino , and Inyo –

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828-457: Is looking at adding the capability of carrying a stand-off missile, probably Harpoon or AGM-65 Maverick, on its six P-3 Orion patrol planes once they have all been upgraded to P3K2 standard. The Republic of Singapore Air Force also operates five modified Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) which are fitted with the sensors needed to fire the Harpoon missile. The Pakistani Navy carries

897-552: Is not planned to be reintroduced until the Block IV Tomahawk is modified with a moving target maritime attack feature in 2021. During RIMPAC 2018 a UGM-84 Harpoon was fired by USS Olympia at the ex-USS Racine . The U.S. Navy plans to refurbish and recertify UGM-84 Harpoon missiles to reintroduce the capability to Los Angeles -class submarines . A $ 10 million contract was awarded to Boeing in January 2021 to deliver

966-489: Is protected, including the obsidian chips and any artifacts or tools, as well as the petroglyphs and native vegetation and wildlife. Little Petroglyph Canyon contains 20,000 documented images. It is open to the public for tours. Remains of the Epsom Salts Monorail are signposted and visible within the site. The central rail, on which mining tractors pulled minerals from a mine to the nearest railway siding,

1035-628: The Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber. Fuel storage was provided with a capacity of 200,000 US gallons (760,000 L) of gasoline and 20,000 US gallons (76,000 L) of oil. The airfield was opened on June 1, 1945, and named Armitage Field after Navy Lieutenant John Armitage, who was killed while testing a Tiny Tim rocket at NOTS in August 1944. Work done by Caltech at NOTS for the Manhattan Project - particularly

1104-557: The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress of a possible sale of 21 additional AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $ 200 million; the Indian government intends to use these missiles on its Indian Navy P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft. The Indian Navy is also planning to upgrade

1173-612: The F/A-18 Hornet and the U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers . The Harpoon was purchased by many nations, including India, Japan, Singapore , South Korea, Taiwan , the United Arab Emirates and most NATO countries. The Royal Australian Air Force can fire AGM-84-series missiles from its F/A-18F Super Hornets . AP-3C Orion , and P-8 Poseidon aircraft, and previously from the now retired F-111C/Gs and F/A-18A/B Hornets . The Royal Australian Navy deploys

1242-830: The Pacific Missile Test Center Point Mugu were disestablished and joined with naval units at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque and at the White Sands Missile Range at White Sands, NM as a single command - the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). At the same time, the physical plant at China Lake was designated as a Naval Air Weapons Station and became

1311-579: The Republic of China Navy (Taiwan) decided to switch to the Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III . The Block 1 missiles were designated A/R/UGM-84A in US service and UGM-84B in the UK. Block 1B standard missiles were designated A/R/UGM-84C, Block 1C missiles were designated A/R/UGM-84D. Block 1 used a terminal attack mode that included a pop-up to approximately 5,900 feet (1,800 m) before diving on

1380-531: The United States Navy began studies for a missile in the 24-nautical-mile (45 km) range class for use against surfaced submarines . The name Harpoon was assigned to the project. The sinking of the Israeli destroyer Eilat in 1967 by a Soviet-built Styx anti-ship missile shocked senior United States Navy officers, who until then had not appreciated the threat posed by anti-ship missiles. In 1970 Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt accelerated

1449-416: The desert tortoise , Mojave ground squirrel and Mojave tui chub . The Mojave tui chub was introduced to China Lake's Lark Seep in 1971. Lark Seep is fed by the water outflow from a wastewater treatment plant located at China Lake. The tui chub population has since grown and expanded to a population of around 6,000 in 2003. The desert on which the installation is built is home to 650 plant types. The area

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1518-590: The AGM-84K (2002 onwards). Block 1J was a proposal for a further upgrade, A/R/UGM-84J Harpoon (or Harpoon 2000), for use against both ship and land targets. In production at Boeing facilities in Saint Charles, Missouri , is the Harpoon Block II, intended to offer an expanded engagement envelope, enhanced resistance to electronic countermeasures and improved targeting. Specifically, the Harpoon

1587-624: The Harpoon missile on its frigates and P-3C Orions. The Turkish Navy carries Harpoons on surface warships and Type 209 submarines . The Turkish Air Force will be armed with the SLAM-ER. Turkey is planning to replace the Harpoons with Turkish made Atmaca missiles. At least 339 Harpoon missiles were sold to the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) for its F-16 A/B Block 20 fleet and the Republic of China Navy , which operates four guided-missile destroyers and eight guided-missile frigates with

1656-594: The Harpoon on major surface combatants and in the Collins -class submarines . The Spanish Air Force and the Chilean Navy are also AGM-84D customers, and they deploy the missiles on surface ships, and F/A-18s, F-16 Falcons , and P-3 Orion aircraft . The British Royal Navy formerly deployed the Harpoon on several types of surface ships. The Royal Canadian Navy carries Harpoon Block II missiles on its Halifax -class frigates . The Royal New Zealand Air Force

1725-559: The Mark 16 Mod 7 ASROC Launching Group and MK 4 ASROC Weapons Handling System (AWHS) reload system. These had one standard Mark 112 octuple ASROC launcher, located immediately above a reload system holding an additional 16 assembled rounds (two complete reloads of eight missiles apiece). Thus, each Spruance -class destroyer originally carried a maximum total of 24 ASROC. Most other US Navy and allied navy destroyers, destroyer escorts, frigates, and several different classes of cruisers only carried

1794-847: The Michelson Lab. In July 1967, NOTS China Lake and the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Corona, California , became the Naval Weapons Center. The Corona facilities were closed, and their functions transferred to the desert in 1971. In July 1979, the mission and functions of the National Parachute Test Range at Naval Air Facility El Centro were transferred to China Lake. In January 1992, the Naval Weapons Center and

1863-608: The Mk 112. The MK 16 Launching Group also had configurations that supported RGM-84 Harpoon (onboard Knox -class destroyer escorts (frigates)) or a variation of the Tartar missile in limited distribution. Ships with the Mk 26 GMLS , and late marks of the Mk 10 GMLS aboard the Belknap -class cruisers, could accommodate ASROC in these power-loaded launchers (the Mk 13 GMLS was not able to fire

1932-670: The SLAM Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), an upgrade to the SLAM. The US Navy awarded a $ 120 million contract to Boeing in July 2011 for the production of about 60 Block II Harpoon missiles, including missiles for 6 foreign militaries. India acquired 24 Harpoon Block II missiles to arm its maritime strike Jaguar fighters in a deal worth $ 170 million through the Foreign Military Sales system. In December 2010,

2001-480: The SLAM a re-attack capability, as well as an image comparison capability similar to the Tomahawk cruise missile ; that is, the weapon can compare the target scene in front of it with an image stored in its onboard computer during terminal phase target acquisition and lock on (this is known as DSMAC ). Block 1G missiles A/R/UGM-84G; the original SLAM-ER missiles were designated AGM-84H (2000-2002) and later ones

2070-562: The U.S. State Department approved the sale of Harpoon Block II to the Mexican Navy for use on their future Sigma-class design frigates, the first of which is being built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding . On 18 November 2015, the U.S. Navy tested the AGM-84N Harpoon Block II+ missile against a moving ship target. The Block II+ incorporates an improved GPS guidance kit and a net-enabled data-link that allows

2139-582: The United States Navy which caused no damage and the other by the Danish Navy , which destroyed and damaged buildings in the recreational housing area Lumsås . The Danish missile was later known as the hovsa-missile ( hovsa being the Danish term for oops ). In November 1980, during Operation Morvarid , Iranian missile boats attacked and sank two Iraqi Osa-class missile boats ; one of

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2208-562: The accusations. Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air Launched Weapons , pointed out that the Harpoon is not suitable for the land-attack role due to deficiency in range. He also stated that Pakistan was already armed with more sophisticated missiles of Pakistani or Chinese design and, therefore, "beyond the need to reverse-engineer old US kit." Hewson offered that the missile tested by Pakistan was part of an undertaking to develop conventionally armed missiles, capable of being air- or surface-launched, to counter its rival India's missile arsenal. It

2277-452: The airfield and range to conduct more than 1,000 test and evaluation operations each year. The 620 active duty military, 4,166 civilian employees and 1,734 contractors that make up China Lake's workforce are employed across multiple tenant commands, including: China Lake is a dry lake . Its name comes from Chinese prospectors harvesting borax from the lake bed, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Paxton Ranch . The operation

2346-548: The base's mission. The bill would add 25,000 acres (10,000 ha), including about 7,500 acres (3,000 ha) that were part of a bombing range in San Bernardino County , as well as 19,000 acres (7,700 ha) along the station's southwest boundary. The Bureau of Land Management said that DoD needs could change in future decades and that it is a popular recreation area with trail riding, campsites, and hunting, and an important wildlife corridor , especially for

2415-567: The capability of carrying the Harpoon, including the eight former U.S. Navy Knox -class frigates and the four former USN Kidd -class destroyers which have been sold to Taiwan. The two Zwaardvis / Hai Lung submarines and 12 P-3C Orion aircraft can also use the missile. The eight Cheng Kung -class frigates , despite being based on the US Oliver Hazard Perry class , have Harpoon capabilities deleted from their combat systems, and funding to restore it has so far been denied,

2484-408: The danger, but Jagvivek left port before receiving the communication and subsequently strayed into the test range area, and the Harpoon missile, loaded just with an inert dummy warhead, locked onto it instead of its intended target. The UGM-84A undersea-launched Harpoon version was retired from U.S. Navy service in 1997, leaving the U.S. submarine force without an anti-ship missile, a capability that

2553-644: The development of Harpoon as part of his "Project Sixty" initiative, hoping to add much-needed striking power to U.S. surface warships such as the Ticonderoga -class cruiser . The first Harpoon was delivered in 1977; in 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th. The Harpoon has also been adapted for carriage on several aircraft, including the P-3 Orion , the P-8 Poseidon , the AV-8B Harrier II ,

2622-761: The early 1930s, an emergency landing field had been built by the Works Progress Administration in the Mojave Desert near the small town of Inyokern, California. Opened in 1935, the field was acquired by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in 1942. In November 1943, it was transferred to the Navy, which established China Lake as the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS). The NOTS mission

2691-461: The earthquakes and found damage totaled $ 5.2 billion. Replacing buildings alone would cost $ 2.2 billion, but officials also must replace or repair specialized equipment, furniture, machine tools, telecommunication assets and other facilities. The majority of the land at NAWS China Lake is undeveloped. It provides habitat for more than 340 species of wildlife, including feral horses, feral burros (donkeys), bighorn sheep and endangered animals, such as

2760-640: The fleet of four submarines – Shishumar class – with tube-launched Harpoon missiles. Defense Security Cooperation Agency in April 2020 approved the sale of 10 AGM-84L Harpoon missiles along with containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment for the P-8I fleet to the Indian Navy at a value of $ 93 million. The sale of Mark 54 lightweight torpedo was approved simultaneously. Harpoon Block II missiles are designated A/R/UGM-84L. In early 2018,

2829-546: The highest concentration of rock art in the Northern Hemisphere. The precise age of the petroglyphs is unknown. A broad range of dates can be inferred from archaeological sites in the area and some artifact forms depicted on the rocks. Archaeologists disagree on their age, but it is generally believed that most petroglyphs are between one and three thousand years old. Designs range from animals to abstract to anthropomorphic figures. Opinions vary widely on whether

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2898-694: The host of the NAVAIR Weapons Division, performing the base-keeping functions. In 1982, the community area of China Lake, including most of the base housing, was annexed by the City of Ridgecrest . In 2013, Congress reserved China Lake's acreage for an additional 25 years for military use. In 2014, U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy of California introduced a bill to permanently designate Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake property for military use, arguing it would save taxpayer money and enhance

2967-437: The installation's closest neighbors are the city of Ridgecrest and the communities of Inyokern , Trona , and Darwin . All aircraft operations at NAWS China Lake are conducted at Armitage Field, which has three runways with more than 26,000 feet (7,900 m) of taxiway. More than 20,000 crewed and uncrewed military sorties are conducted out of Armitage by U.S. Armed Forces each year. Foreign military personnel also use

3036-487: The installation's closest neighbors are the city of Ridgecrest and the communities of Inyokern , Trona , and Darwin . China Lake is the United States Navy's largest single landholding, representing 85% of the Navy's land for weapons and armaments research, development, acquisition, testing, and evaluation (RDAT&E) use and 38% of the Navy's land holdings worldwide. In total, its two ranges and main site cover more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km ), an area larger than

3105-660: The missile to receive in-flight targeting updates. Introduction of the Block II+ was achieved in 2017 on the F/A-18E/F followed by the P-8A in 2019. Harpoon Block III was intended to be an upgrade package to the existing USN Block 1C missiles and Command Launch Systems (CLS) for guided missile cruisers, guided missile destroyers , and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft. After experiencing an increase in

3174-585: The missiles by the end of the year. In June 2009, it was reported by an American newspaper, citing unnamed officials from the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress , that the American government had accused Pakistan of illegally modifying some older Harpoon missiles to strike land targets. Pakistani officials denied this and they claimed that the US was referring to a new Pakistani-designed missile. Some international experts were also reported to be skeptical of

3243-531: The missiles. On 17 June, Ukraine claimed to have sunk the tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh with two Harpoon missiles. In a tweet they said "Spasatel Vasily Bekh, a tug of the Russian Black Sea Fleet , successfully demilitarized by the @UA_NAVY. The ship was transporting personnel, weapons and ammunition to the occupied Snake Island." Ukraine's Naval Command also claimed the Russian tugboat had

3312-474: The one ASROC "matchbox" MK 112 launcher with eight ASROC missiles (although later in service, some of those missiles could be replaced by the Harpoon anti-ship missile). The "matchbox" Mk 112 launchers were capable of carrying a mixture of the two types. Reloads were carried in many classes, either on first level of the superstructure immediately abaft the launcher, or in a separate deckhouse just forward or abaft

3381-483: The petroglyphs were made for ceremonial purposes, whether they tell stories to pass along the mythology of their makers, or whether they are records of hunting hopes or successes, clan symbols, or maps. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964, the rock art in Little Petroglyph Canyon provides insights into the cultural heritage and knowledge of the desert's past. Everything in the canyon area

3450-722: The scope of required government ship integration, test and evaluation, and a delay in development of a data-link, the Harpoon Block III program was canceled by the U.S. Navy in April 2009. In April 2015, Boeing unveiled a modified version of the RGM-84 it called the Harpoon Next Generation. It increases the ship-launched Harpoon missile's range from the Block II's 70 nmi (81 mi; 130 km) to 167.5 nmi (192.8 mi; 310.2 km), along with

3519-511: The state of Rhode Island . As of 2010, at least 95% of that land is undeveloped. The roughly $ 3 billion infrastructure of the installation consists of 2,132 buildings and facilities, 329 miles (529 km) of paved roads, and 1,801 miles (2,898 km) of unpaved roads. The 19,600 square miles (51,000 km ) of restricted and controlled airspace at China Lake makes up 12% of California's total airspace. Jointly controlled by NAWS China Lake, Edwards Air Force Base and Fort Irwin , this airspace

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3588-460: The sub's position to an ASROC-equipped ship for attack. The attacking ship would then fire an ASROC missile carrying an acoustic homing torpedo or a W44 nuclear depth bomb onto an unguided ballistic trajectory toward the target. At a pre-determined point on the missile's trajectory, the payload separates from the missile and deploys a parachute to permit splashdown and water entry at a low speed and with minimum detectable noise. Water entry activates

3657-543: The target may have been a false one and that no ships were hit by those missiles. In 1988, Harpoon missiles were used by the U.S. to sink the Iranian frigate Sahand during Operation Praying Mantis . Another was fired at the Iranian Kaman -class missile boat Joshan , but failed to strike because the fast attack craft had already been mostly sunk by RIM-66 Standard missiles. An Iranian-owned Harpoon missile

3726-692: The target; Block 1B omitted the terminal pop-up; and Block 1C provided a selectable terminal attack mode. This version featured a larger fuel tank and re-attack capability, but was not produced in large numbers because its intended mission (warfare with the Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern Europe) was considered to be unlikely following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union . The range is 173 miles (278 km) . Block 1D missiles were designated A/RGM-84F. This version, under development , gives

3795-610: The testing of bomb shapes dropped from B-29s - was included as part of codename Project Camel . In 1950, NOTS scientists and engineers developed the air-intercept missile (AIM) 9 Sidewinder , which became the world's most used and most copied air-to-air missile. Other rockets and missiles developed or tested at China Lake include the Mighty Mouse , Zuni , Shrike , HARM , Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited NAWS China Lake for an air show and to see

3864-583: The threatened desert tortoise. In July 2019, two large earthquakes struck Southern California; both had epicenters within the NAWS boundaries. The first, on July 4, a 6.4 magnitude quake, caused no injuries at NAWS, and the initial reports showed that all buildings were intact. The second, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 5, resulted in the facility being evaluated as "not mission capable". The report shows that officials assessed all buildings, utilities, and facilities — 3,598 structures in all — for 13 days after

3933-494: The torpedo, which is guided by its own sonar system, and homes in on the target using either active sonar or passive sonar . The W44 nuclear depth charge entered service in 1961, but was never used beyond one or two tests before the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banning underwater nuclear tests went into effect. A total of 575 weapons were produced. The W44 weighed 77 kg (170 lb) with

4002-488: The weapon, as the launcher rail was too short). Most Spruance -class destroyers were later modified to include the Mk 41 VLS , these launchers are capable of carrying a mixture of the RUM-139 VL-ASROC , the Tomahawk TLAM, and other missiles. All of the Spruance destroyers carried two separate quad Harpoon launchers. Other US ships with the Mk 41 can also accommodate VL-ASROC. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station ( NAWS ) China Lake

4071-443: The weapons used was the Harpoon missile. In 1986, the United States Navy sank at least two Libyan patrol boats in the Gulf of Sidra . Two Harpoon missiles were launched from the cruiser USS  Yorktown with no confirmed results and several others from A-6 Intruder aircraft that were said to have hit their targets. Initial reports claimed that USS Yorktown scored hits on a patrol boat, but action reports indicated that

4140-486: Was also fired at the guided missile cruiser USS  Wainwright . The missile was successfully lured away by chaff . In December 1988, a Harpoon launched by an F/A-18 Hornet fighter from the aircraft carrier USS  Constellation killed one sailor when it struck the merchant ship Jagvivek , a 250 ft (76 m) long Indian-owned ship, during an exercise at the Pacific Missile Range near Kauai , Hawaii . A Notice to Mariners had been issued warning of

4209-491: Was changed to ASROC. ASROC was deployed in 1961 and eventually made the majority of USN surface combatants nuclear-capable. The first ASROC system using the MK-112 "Matchbox" launcher was developed in the 1950s and installed in the 1960s. This system was phased out in the 1990s and replaced with the RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC , or "VLA". After a surface ship, patrol plane or anti-submarine helicopter detects an enemy submarine by using sonar or other sensors, it could relay

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4278-493: Was defined in a letter by the Secretary of the Navy as ".... a station having for its primary function the research, development, and testing of weapons, and having an additional function of furnishing primary training in the use of such weapons." Testing began within a month of the Station's formal establishment. The vast and sparsely populated desert, with near-perfect flying weather and practically unlimited visibility, proved an ideal location for test and evaluation activities and

4347-478: Was initially designed as an open-ocean weapon. The Block II missiles continue progress begun with Block IE, and the Block II missile provides the Harpoon with a littoral -water anti-ship capability. The key improvements of the Harpoon Block II are obtained by incorporating the inertial measurement unit from the Joint Direct Attack Munition program, and the software, computer, Global Positioning System (GPS)/inertial navigation system and GPS antenna/receiver from

4416-435: Was known locally as "The Little Chinese Borax Works". Amid World War II , adequate facilities were needed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for test and evaluation of rockets. At the same time, the Navy needed a new proving ground for aviation ordnance . Caltech's Charles C. Lauritsen and then U.S. Navy Commander Sherman E. Burroughs worked together to find a site that would meet both their needs. In

4485-481: Was later stated that Pakistan and the US administration had reached some sort of agreement allowing US officials to inspect Pakistan's inventory of Harpoon missiles, and the issue had been resolved. The Harpoon missile has also emerged as a preferred choice for several foreign countries under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. In 2020 its manufacturer Boeing won two major contracts for supplying Harpoon missiles to Saudi Arabia and six other partner nations under

4554-478: Was on USS  Norfolk  (DL-1) in 1960. The first large group of ships to receive ASROC were 78 Gearing -class destroyers, modified under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization Mark I program (FRAM I) in the early 1960s. A Mark 112 8-tube ASROC launcher was added along with other major modifications. ASROC reloads were stowed alongside the helicopter hangar and handled by a small crane. The 31 U.S. Navy Spruance -class destroyers were all built with

4623-505: Was once home to the Native American Coso People , whose presence is marked by thousands of archaeological sites; the Coso traded with other tribes as far away as San Luis Obispo County, California . This locale was also used by European miners and settlers whose cabins and mining structures are extant throughout the Station. The Coso Range Canyons are home to the Coso Rock Art District , an area of some 99 square miles (260 km ) which contains more than 50,000 documented petroglyphs ,

4692-405: Was redesigned to use not only a nuclear depth charge but also a homing ASW torpedo. To obtain the accuracy needed, the RAT-C rocket booster had to be redesigned with larger side fins. This program finally combined reliability and accuracy, along with the required stand-off range. Before RAT-C reached operational status in 1960, aboard the large US Navy destroyer leader USS  Norfolk , its name

4761-467: Was supported on wooden A-frames of a low trestle. The Coso Geothermal Field is within China Lake boundaries. The geothermal power plants located there began generating electricity in 1987 and were the Navy's first foray into producing clean power from the earth's thermal energy (heat). The plant's nameplate capacity is 270 megawatts, with a total annual electricity production from the field of 1,175 gigawatt-hours. Harpoon (missile) The Harpoon

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