In message , Peter Skelton
writes
Aren't the small, modified AA missles supersonic, small and about
as long-ranged as harpoon? They've a much smaller punch -
nothing's free, as you say, but they'd be likely to hit against
current defenses.

SAMs in surface mode can be pretty effective. During Preying Mantis, an
Iranian FAC fired a Harpoon at a USN surface action group (it missed or
was decoyed, opinions vary) and won half-a-dozen Standards and a Harpoon
in return. The Standards made such a mess of the Joshan that the Harpoon
didn't hit: the wreck was so low in the water that the Harpoon either
couldn't lock, or overflew.

Harpoon gets you range (~60-70 miles compared to the horizon) and a much
bigger warhead, but for the inshore battle there's a lot to be said for
the speed and selectivity of a semi-active SAM.

--
The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its
warriors, will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done
by fools.
-Thucydides


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