The Royal New Zealand Air Force fired AGM‑84 Harpoon anti‑ship missiles for the first time from a P‑8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. In the footage a small boat was struck, demonstrating the missile’s effectiveness.
The exercise was part of the multinational Valiant Shield drill, which involved air and naval forces from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand. The drill included joint operations across air, surface and subsurface domains.
During the test two Harpoon missiles were launched at an out‑of‑range maritime target and both struck the target successfully.
The Harpoon remains one of the West’s primary anti‑ship weapons, capable of long‑range strikes in open‑sea conditions and widely used by NATO and U.S. allies.