USAF tests Harpoon missile integration on F-16 aircraft
The test showcased a viable pathway for integrating the Harpoon quickly onto existing platforms without requiring modifications. (Photo: U.S. Air Force / Airman 1st Class Timothy Perish)
The integration of the Harpoon missile on the Lockheed Martin fighter worked to showcase the rapid speed at which a ‘gateway system’ integration can add new capabilities to aircraft.
The 53rd Test and Evaluation Group (TEG) of the US Air Force (USAF) has announced a successful integration and test of a US Navy AGM-84 Harpoon missile onto an F-16 fighter jet at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on 27 February.
According to the USAF, the team developed a gateway system that allowed for communication between the missile and aircraft without needing modifications to either platform.
By leveraging this approach, the team sped up the integration process, and reportedly demonstrated a faster, more efficient process for adding new weapons capabilities to the F-16 aircraft.
The chief project manager for
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up]()
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
