What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Anti-ship missiles combine target-location information, mid-course guidance and terminal sensing; no single sensor necessarily performs every job. In the U.S. Navy’s Harpoon example, active radar provides terminal homing while a radar altimeter monitors the missile’s sea-skimming flight. Harpoon Block II+ also has a documented in-flight update capability. The related SLAM-ER system illustrates a different terminal approach: an imaging-infrared seeker and a data link for man-in-the-loop control. These are system-specific examples, not a universal missile design. NAVAIR Harpoon; NAVAIR SLAM-ER
The process: from target area to terminal guidance
1. Direct the missile toward an expected target area
A missile needs information about where its target is expected to be. That information can become stale because a vessel moves, but the official descriptions cited here do not provide a complete account of how a firing platform detects, classifies or selects a ship during an actual engagement. They establish that Harpoon has mid-course guidance and that its Block II+ version can receive in-flight updates—not a universal target-finding workflow. NAVAIR Harpoon; Department of the Navy budget highlights
2. Navigate during cruise—and, in some versions, accept updates
Mid-course guidance steers a missile toward its target area. The Navy’s Harpoon fact file describes GPS-assisted inertial navigation for Block II, while NAVAIR lists a GPS guidance kit and an in-flight-update data-link interface for Block II+. The Department of the Navy’s 2017 budget highlights connect those updates with improving the targeting and engagement of moving maritime targets. This documents a capability; it does not establish that every engagement receives an update, how often updates occur, or that a correction guarantees a hit. U.S. Navy Harpoon fact file; NAVAIR Harpoon; Department of the Navy budget highlights
3. Use a terminal seeker to home on the target
Terminal guidance is the stage in which the weapon uses its seeker to guide toward a target. NAVAIR identifies active radar terminal homing for Harpoon. For SLAM-ER, NAVAIR describes an imaging-infrared terminal seeker; upgraded missiles also have automatic target acquisition, and a two-way data link supports man-in-the-loop control. These examples show distinct sensing and control arrangements, not interchangeable features shared by every missile. NAVAIR Harpoon; NAVAIR SLAM-ER
#1 Best Overall
- Photo-etched parts included
- Ready-to-assemble plastic model kit
- Includes hundreds of pieces
- Glue and paint not included
What the system examples show
| System and source | Mid-course guidance or updates | Terminal sensing or control | Flight profile |
| Harpoon; NAVAIR and U.S. Navy | NAVAIR describes mid-course guidance. The Navy fact file specifies GPS-assisted inertial navigation for Block II; NAVAIR lists GPS guidance and in-flight updates through a data-link interface for Block II+. | Active radar terminal homing. | Low-level sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar altimeter. |
| SLAM-ER; NAVAIR | GPS-aided guidance; a two-way data link enables man-in-the-loop control. | Imaging-infrared seeker; upgraded missiles have automatic target acquisition. | Not stated on the cited NAVAIR page. |
Sources: NAVAIR Harpoon; U.S. Navy Harpoon fact file; NAVAIR SLAM-ER.
Harpoon’s deployment date is 1977, according to the U.S. Navy’s 2021 fact file; that is a historical date, not a measure of current capability. U.S. Navy Harpoon fact file
Rank #2
- The modern equipment including Tomahawk and Harpoon missile launchers as well as Phalanx CIWS are highly detailed
- Other accessories include two 1/350 scale 16-inch shells and two Tomahawk missiles
- 1/350 Scale Warship
Sea-skimming is not the same as target detection
A low-altitude cruise profile and a seeker’s target-sensing job are separate functions. In NAVAIR’s Harpoon description, the radar altimeter monitors sea-skimming flight, while active radar terminal homing is separately identified as the guidance method used to home on a target. A radar altimeter should not be mistaken for the missile’s ship-tracking seeker. NAVAIR Harpoon
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Shipboard surveillance radar is a different system
Radar on a defending ship is not the onboard seeker of an incoming missile. The U.S. Navy describes AN/SPQ-9B as a ship radar that detects and tracks low-flying anti-ship missiles and surface threats. Its AN/SPS-48G description covers shipboard air-search and tracking functions, including moving-target indication in a low-elevation mode. These are defensive surveillance systems, not examples of a missile’s own terminal guidance. AN/SPQ-9B fact file; AN/SPS-48G fact file
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This plastic model requires assembly and painting. Adhesives, tools, paints, etc., sold separately
- 1/40 scale unpainted plastic model assembly kit
- Re-release kit released from the level in 1957
- Mold Color: White, Olive Drab
- Atlantis Modelive (USA) Imported Plastic Model
Rank #4
- Photo-etched parts included
- Ready-to-assemble plastic model kit
- Includes hundreds of pieces
- Glue and paint not included
Rank #3
- Revell Plastic Model Ship Kit #85-0302 is skill level 4 and contains 133 parts. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
- Complete deck fittings including searchlights, motor launches and whaleboats, rangefinders, ladders, cranes, and tripod masts with observation nests.
- Model scale 1:426
- Full Light Armament including 5" and 1.1" AA guns and 10.5" Turret Cannon. 12 Elevating 14” cannon in 4 rotating turrets. 2 catapults with Vought 0 2U biplanes.
- Finely engraved planning and plate detail, display stand, decals for ship and float planes. Paint and glue not included.
What these examples do not establish
- There is no single seeker or update architecture that can be assumed for every anti-ship missile; the cited systems illustrate different designs.
- The cited descriptions do not provide a quantitative comparison of seeker range, accuracy, performance in weather or resistance to countermeasures.
- They do not establish a universal update method, update frequency, engagement procedure or probability of hit.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
