The Navy’s MK-60 Griffin Missile System being installed on Cyclone-class coastal patrol boats has reached initial operational capability, the Navy and manufacturer Raytheon [RTN] said Tuesday.
The Griffin missile is designed to counter fast-moving small boats, and has been under maritime testing for two years. Most of the Navy’s Cyclone vessels are stationed with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain.
The missile system consists of laser targeting, a Navy designated launcher and battle management system.
“The Griffin missile and MK-60 system assure the accuracy and lethality our sailors need to combat growing regional threats,” said Capt. Mike Ladner, the program manager for surface ship weapons in the program office for integrated warfare systems at Naval Sea Systems Command.
Initial operational capability “signals the beginning of improved ship self-defense on the patrol coastal fleet and provides an immediate response to potential maritime threats, especially small craft on the move,” he said.
The Griffin missile is more than three-feet long, weighs 33 pounds, and consists of a 13-pound warhead. It has also been deployed on aircraft.