Harpoon missiles return to American submarines a quarter century later

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The Harpoon anti-ship missile was developed in the United States at the height of the Cold War. All-weather ammunition entered service in 1977 and since then has been quite actively produced and has been repeatedly modernized. The missile remains in service with the US Navy and Air Force.

True, interest in this arms declined after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR. In the Navy, the use of these missiles lost its meaning, since the American naval forces were left without a real enemy at sea for many years. Against the background of the lack of adequate challenges and enemy fleetthat would have to be sunk in case of conflict, the importance of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles was declining.



For this reason, these missiles were removed from service by American submarines for decades. Moreover, American destroyers also often went to sea without Harpoon anti-ship missiles on board. However, the situation is now changing. As reported in February 2021 by the American publication Popular Mechanics, the Harpoon missile is returning to the US Navy submarines after a 25-year hiatus.

Who will be harpooned?


Obviously, the reason for the return of anti-ship missiles on board American submarines is the fact that such weapons are again becoming relevant. The US Navy once again has a real adversary at sea. But now it is no longer Russia, but China.

At the end of 2020, the Chinese fleet bypassed the American in the number of warships. So far, the US Navy still holds the palm in terms of displacement. But even by this indicator, the PRC fleet will soon be able to bypass the American one, especially given the crazy pace of construction of large warships in the Celestial Empire.


Corvette of the Type-056 project of the Chinese Navy

Recently, China has been building frigates and corvettes literally dozens a year. It is also important that the Chinese navy and industry have mastered the production of aircraft carriers, which are by far the largest warships. At the same time, the PLA Navy previously already ranked first in the world in terms of the number of frigates, diesel submarines, missile and patrol boats, as well as landing ships (inferior to the American ones in terms of total tonnage and capacity).

According to the Military Balance 2020 compilation, the Chinese fleet has 52 frigates, 28 cruisers and destroyers, 43 corvettes of the Type-056 and Type-056A projects. At the same time, according to data from other open sources, only corvettes of these two types in the PRC were launched 71 units, of which more than 50 ships can be in service. Thus, for the American Harpoon anti-ship missiles, numerous potential surface targets do appear.

The cost of returning "Harpoon"


Developed decades ago, the Harpoon missile is becoming a "new" option for the US Navy to counter the growing Chinese fleet. In general, the efforts to return Harpoon anti-ship missiles on board American submarines fit into a number of programs that are already being implemented by the Pentagon as part of various options to contain the growing capabilities of the Chinese and Russian fleets.

The exact cost of returning missiles to submarine service, as well as the total number of missiles purchased, are not yet known. At the same time, the first contract has already been signed. At the end of January 2021, the US Navy signed a contract with Boeing for a total of $ 10,9 million. Within the framework of the concluded contract, it is planned to equip multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Los Angeles type with new Harpoon missiles already in the 2021 financial year.


Loading the training anti-ship missile system "Harpoon" on board the nuclear submarine USS Asheville (SSN-758)

The signed contract follows the successful test launches of the Harpoon anti-ship missile at the target ship from the USS Olympia multipurpose nuclear submarine during the RIMPAC-2018 exercise off the coast of Hawaii. This was the first launch of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system from an American submarine since 1997, when they were decommissioned.

According to the American magazine Seapower, the latest contract is about the repair of at least 20 Harpoon missiles for the US Navy submarines. The deployment of UGM-84A Harpoon Block 1C missiles is planned to be carried out on Los Angeles-class submarines. These missiles are designed to fire through boat torpedo tubes. In service with the US Navy, 32 submarines of this type remain, which makes them the most numerous. At the same time, the boats do not belong to the most advanced American submarines, since they were built from 1972 to 1996.

For comparison, the American press also provides the value of the contract concluded in 2019 by the Naval Air Systems Command, which deals with the logistics and support of the naval aviation fleet. The command carried out the repair and modernization of the existing air-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, a $ 16 million contract was signed with Boeing to upgrade another 79 Harpoon Block IC missiles for naval aviation.

It is worth noting that RIMPAC-2018 became a naval exercise in which Harpoon missiles were widely used, story which is more than 40 years old. In addition to launching from a submarine, missiles were launched from the P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft of the RAF and from the Singapore Navy frigate. In total, a total of six Harpoons were fired during the exercise.


Launch of the Harpoon anti-ship missile system from the US Navy ship

Boeing, a developer and manufacturer of these over-the-horizon anti-ship missiles, emphasizes the fact that the fleet has a large stock of Harpoon Block IC missiles that can be upgraded and upgraded. Sally Seibert, director of Boeing's cruise missile development division, said existing missiles can be repaired and re-integrated into the fleet in a shorter time frame and at a lower cost than purchasing new missiles. Boeing is ready to work in this direction today.

Harpoon anti-ship missile capabilities


Harpoon is an American anti-ship cruise missile that has become one of the most widely used in the world. The rocket has been actively developed since the early 1970s by engineers at McDonnell Douglas, which in 1997 merged with Boeing to form the Boeing Company, which became the largest aerospace corporation in the world.

The "Harpoon" rocket is equipped with a turbojet engine and has a subsonic flight speed. The cruise missile is over-the-horizon and all-weather, with a range of more than 66 miles and is likely (depending on versions) in the range of 120 to 280 km. The maximum flight speed of the rocket is no more than 850 km / h.

Initially, the Harpoon missile was developed exclusively in the interests of the Navy, but over time, the missile was also adapted for aircraft based. The first serial missiles were deployed in 1977, and in 1983 the missiles were adapted for use from the B-52H bomber. In total, Boeing has produced approximately 7 Harpoon anti-ship missiles of all modifications, which are in service with more than 500 different countries.


Launching anti-ship missiles "Harpoon" from the submarine

"Harpoon" performs flight at low altitudes, gliding over the sea surface. Before attacking a target, the missile flies at a height of only 2-5 meters, which makes it difficult to detect the enemy's radar. The missile has active radar targeting. All "Harpoons" were equipped with a penetrating high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 221 kg, while the mass of the entire rocket is 691 kg. Initially, the developers implemented two options for attacking surface targets: in normal horizontal flight; with the execution of a slide in front of the target and the attack of the enemy ship from a dive.

ASM "Harpoon" was designed and built according to a normal aerodynamic scheme, the rocket has a modular design and a unified body, a cruciform folding wing and four rudders. The wing of the anti-ship missile is trapezoidal with a large sweep along the leading edge.

The missile is produced in three main versions: aircraft-based AGM-84; ship-based or shore-based RGM-84; option for launching from aboard UGM-84 submarines. The RGM-84 and UGM-84 anti-ship missile variants are additionally equipped with solid-propellant rocket boosters. At the same time, an underwater missile is placed in a special container that allows launching from a submarine through torpedo tubes.

Boeing is currently actively promoting a variant of the Harpoon Block II Plus rocket with a new inertial navigation system with a GPS receiver and the ability to connect to broadband data channels, which allows target designation to be updated during flight. According to the developers' assurances, the new versions of the missile have a 7-fold increase in targeting capabilities at once compared to the old Block IC versions that have not been upgraded.
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    1. -1
      19 February 2021 04: 21
      In 2019, a $ 16 million contract was signed with Boeing to upgrade another 79 Harpoon Block IC missiles for naval aviation.
      As I understand it, "Harpoons" will be, at best, off-powered and modernized in the process. Economical? Undoubtedly. Effective? Already doubtful.
      1. +1
        19 February 2021 04: 32
        The Chinese of course know about the Harpoons, the question is what can they oppose?
        1. +3
          19 February 2021 04: 38
          Quote: Lech from Android.
          The Chinese of course know about the Harpoons, the question is what can they oppose?
          The usual set of measures, shooting first with missiles, then with cannons, with jamming. The Chinese are already quite capable of using guns and missiles, but the Harpoons RL-stealth have not been reduced over the past time.
          1. 0
            19 February 2021 04: 41
            What is the probability of hitting a Chinese aircraft carrier with Harpoons in a real raid with the active countering of the Chinese AUG?
            1. +5
              19 February 2021 05: 12
              Determine the composition of the order of the Chinese AUG, the composition of the weapons of the escort ships, the outfit of fighters for the AUG air defense, then the outfit of forces allocated by the US Navy to destroy the AUG, and then ask questions if you still have them by this time. Oh yes, I completely forgot, I'm not a specialist in naval affairs at all. As well as you. laughing
              1. +1
                19 February 2021 05: 27
                The outfit is in the photo of AUG China, standard set. smile Of course, I also did not graduate from the academies of the General Staff, but first of all I am interested in how much forces and resources the Americans will spend to break through the layered defense of the Chinese AUG.
            2. +2
              19 February 2021 09: 25
              Quote: Lech from Android.
              What is the probability of hitting a Chinese aircraft carrier with Harpoons in a real raid with the active countering of the Chinese AUG?

              I think that more modern missiles will be used to combat Chinese AUGs: LRASM or Tomahawks (Block Va). Fortunately, there are not many of those AUGs, you can spend money, and "Harpoons" can be directed at easier targets (the same 056 corvettes).

              On the other hand, once upon a time there was an article on VO: it was calculated that an American aircraft carrier could send 20-25 attack aircraft (plus AWACS and electronic warfare) to attack at a time, which gives up to fifty "Harpoons" in a salvo. If also a couple of Los Angeles missiles are connected, the number of missiles can be increased to 70 - for the air defense of the Chinese AUG this will be a very serious test.
            3. 0
              20 February 2021 15: 09
              How many nuclear submarines or NK or JSA Aviation will shoot at the Chinese AUG? That's why they dance, they won't attack AUG from one Elk, how many will he take 10-15 maximum in the Harpoon standard?
          2. -2
            19 February 2021 05: 16
            enemy at sea. But now it is no longer Russia, but China.
            They don't hold us for the enemy anymore ...
            1. +1
              19 February 2021 05: 17
              Quote from Uncle Lee
              They don't hold us for the enemy anymore ...

              Not us, but the Navy, and I hope only for now.
              1. +4
                19 February 2021 05: 21
                Quote: Vladimir_2U
                Navy

                I feel sorry for the Navy too!
            2. +3
              19 February 2021 05: 29
              Alas, recourse stepped on a sore callus. Until we raise our country's economy at least to the level of China, it is better not to dream of ocean battles.
            3. 0
              8 May 2021 15: 40
              This is the conclusion of the author of the article, and by no means the opinion of the guys from DC)))
          3. 0
            28 March 2021 00: 22
            The invisibility of the harpoons is determined by the flight height above the water of only 2-5 m.
            1. 0
              8 May 2021 15: 42
              So they all, in theory, fly at such an altitude. French "exoset" too
        2. +3
          19 February 2021 08: 14
          What can the Chinese be indifferent to me, and what can we?
          1. 0
            19 February 2021 13: 13
            "Fearless" - Project 11540 lead patrol ship "Yastreb", built in 1993 - out of repair!
            Quote: Astra wild2
            what can we do?
            1. +2
              19 February 2021 17: 11
              Sorry, but even a schoolboy understands the difference between a surface ship and a rocket.
              I asked what remedies are there against the "harpoon"?
              There are no naval officers among my acquaintances, and curiosity is peculiar to women.
              1. -1
                19 February 2021 18: 54
                You can try to shoot down the missile and interfere with its guidance system, but there is no 100% certainty. And attacking is always better than defending.
        3. 0
          8 May 2021 15: 31
          The Chinese, of course, do not have the best air defense systems, but the "harpoon" by today's standards is no longer "feng shui", so the gain is very doubtful.
      2. +4
        19 February 2021 06: 00
        Quote: Vladimir_2U
        Effective? Already doubtful

        And what are the doubts?
        New head, new navigation, secure communication with retargeting capability ....
        There just the body and the engine are old, and the "brains" and even warheads are different.
        1. 0
          19 February 2021 06: 05
          Quote: Jacket in stock
          New head, new navigation, secure communication with retargeting capability
          I didn't notice about the new head, the new navigation is not important, the connection is relevant for long distances, I think it will not be particularly difficult to suppress it at 50 miles from the order. But the radar and infrared visibility remained the same, not to mention the speed.
          1. +2
            19 February 2021 06: 18
            Quote: Vladimir_2U
            Radar and IR visibility remained at the same level, not to mention the speed.

            They also have missiles with a different speed and a different visibility.
            But their price tag is also very different.
            In this case, we are talking about improving what is available for not much money.
            1. -3
              19 February 2021 06: 21
              Quote: Jacket in stock
              In this case, we are talking about improving what is available for not much money.
              Well, I wrote about it in the first comment.
              Quote: Vladimir_2U
              Economical? Undoubtedly. Effective? Already doubtful.

              And an incomprehensible head (about the new GOS in the article) and the same speed and visibility make you doubt high efficiency.
              1. +1
                20 February 2021 19: 54
                She always had low visibility. As small as Stealth missiles, but low enough. Therefore, doubts can be dropped.
          2. +6
            19 February 2021 09: 29
            Quote: Vladimir_2U
            But the radar and infrared visibility remained the same, not to mention the speed.

            The conspicuousness of the "Harpoon", presumably, is not very great: not a "stealth", of course, but also not a mastodon like our old P-15. And with a flight altitude of several meters, even a modern air defense system will have to puff in order to target it.

            Then, the "Harpoon" is a relatively cheap and compact rocket, which makes it possible in practice to realize the transition from quantity to quality: it is not difficult to shoot down a single "Harpoon", but when several dozen of them come flying in, it is a disaster.
            1. 0
              19 February 2021 09: 38
              Quote: Kalmar
              The conspicuousness of the "Harpoon", presumably, is not very high
              The development of the glider of the late 70s is not very small. Size to size so to speak.
              Quote: Kalmar
              And with a flight altitude of several meters, even a modern air defense system will have to puff in order to target it.
              At a relatively low speed, the time will be, as for the completion of artillery fire.
              Quote: Kalmar
              but when a few dozen of them fly in, it's a disaster.
              You can't argue with that, that's only at a range of max. 280 km away, they still need to be dragged en masse to the hypothetical Chinese AUG.
              1. +6
                19 February 2021 09: 47
                Quote: Vladimir_2U
                At a relatively low speed, the time will be, as for the completion of artillery fire.

                At a flight altitude of 5 m, the attacked ship will be able to see the rocket 30 kilometers from itself (in reality, I think, less), which gives about 2 minutes to complete. Even the modest air defense of the same Chinese 056 will probably cope with a single missile, but a massive salvo, as already noted, will inevitably become a problem.

                Quote: Vladimir_2U
                that's only at a range of max. 280 km away, they still need to be dragged to a hypothetical Chinese AUG.

                Therefore, they put it first of all on submarines, and not on "Arleigh Burke". The Americans may well allocate a dozen Los Angeles aircraft to the Chinese AUG, plus air support (F-18s with the same Harpoons, for example).
              2. +1
                20 February 2021 19: 59
                Not as small as Stals, but small enough.

                Uh-huh, only it will be on one volley, not hit, that's all.

                The second block is at 310 km. There are enough missiles for this class, for other ranges there is Tapor 5 or 4 with upgrades.
                1. 0
                  20 February 2021 20: 45
                  Quote: ironic
                  Not as small as Stals, but small enough.

                  40 years have passed since the development of the airframe, radars have evolved in this way.

                  Quote: ironic
                  Uh-huh, only it will be on one volley, not hit, that's all.
                  Once again, the speed is low, and even for a single modern ship there are at least two frontiers: missiles on its own radar and the ZAK, but in general it was AUG, and there is AWACS.

                  Quote: ironic
                  The second block is at 310 km. There are enough missiles for this class, for other ranges there is Tapor 5 or 4 with upgrades.
                  Once again, we are talking specifically about Harpoon and AUG, do you understand what AUG is?
                  1. +1
                    20 February 2021 21: 33
                    And the EPR, as it remained small enough for radars, has remained, and even decreased in block II.

                    The speed is not high, this is a plus, go find it with a low RCS at a low altitude, so that there is more time than one salvo. 850 km / h is fast when the distance is several tens of kilometers. DLRO is good, but so far the Chinese are only developing it.

                    What's wrong with the AUG shot? From boats, planes are also going to shoot.
          3. The comment was deleted.
        2. 0
          8 May 2021 15: 46
          The most important parameter is flight speed. Subsonic. Not "feng shui" at present, there is more than enough time for air defense.
      3. +1
        19 February 2021 20: 37
        Quote: Vladimir_2U
        Economical? Undoubtedly. Effective? Already doubtful.
        Keep in mind that the Americans do not need to break through the Aegis AUG and disassemble the aircraft carrier for parts. With this old stuff, they can simply overload the air defense of any of their opponents. But for us, rockets, which are more primitive than Granite or Onyx, are not very useful: too serious an enemy, too few carriers.
      4. 0
        20 February 2021 19: 44
        If they are modernized, that is effective.
    2. -7
      19 February 2021 09: 08
      Nice rocket, simple and reliable. Russia has never been able to create anything of the kind
      1. +7
        19 February 2021 09: 31
        Quote: Evgeny Kirov
        Russia has never been able to create anything of the kind

        Like this? X-35 same. It is so similar to "Harpoon" that the Americans called it "Harpoonsky" behind the back and even at one time negotiated the purchase of its RGSN for installation on their "Harpoons".
        1. -5
          19 February 2021 10: 01
          How are you going to shoot the X-35 from under the water?
          About the purchase by the Americans of the RGSN is very funny. Yes, amers do not need this stuff.
          1. +4
            19 February 2021 11: 40
            Quote: Evgeny Kirov
            How are you going to shoot the X-35 from under the water?

            I think there are no fundamental obstacles to the creation of a modification with an underwater launch. "Harpoon" can, "Calibers" can, with the X-35 for sure it is also possible, just no one worked on this topic.

            Quote: Evgeny Kirov
            About the purchase by the Americans of the RGSN is very funny.

            It was in the dashing 90s, when everything was bought and sold))

            Quote: Evgeny Kirov
            Yes, the amers do not need this stuff

            Why "rubbish" at once. Its RGSN is quite suitable and modern, at the same time cheaper than the American one (at that time it was, in any case).
          2. +1
            20 February 2021 15: 23
            Think with your own head which of the Soviet missiles-relatives to Harpoon, you were told that the X35, you have rubbish in your head of cabbage, because of the missiles for underwater launch, the USSR had a dozen options - P-1 Pike / 4K32 / KSSH - SS- N-1 SCRUBBER
            P-5 - SS-N-3A SHADDOCK
            P-10
            P-35 - SS-N-3B SHADDOCK
            P-6 - SS-N-3C SHADDOCK
            P-7
            P-20 Sokol
            P-40
            P-70 Amethyst - SS-N-7 STARBRIGHT
            P-100 (project)
            P-500 Basalt - SS-N-12 SANDBOX
            P-50 / P-700 Granite - SS-N-19 SHIPWRECK
            3K-10 / S-10 Garnet - SS-N-21 SAMPSON
            P-750 Meteorite-M - SS-NX-24 SCORPION
            P-1000 Volcano - SS-N-12 mod.2 SANDBOX
            X-35 / 3M-24 - SS-N-25 SWITCHBLADE / AS-20 KAYAK
            P-800 / 3K-55 Onyx / Yakhont - SS-N-26 STROBILE
        2. 0
          21 February 2021 18: 51
          Kh-35 tak i est nelicenzionnaya kopia Harpoon. Poetomu i zvanie "Harpoonskiy".
      2. 0
        19 February 2021 16: 00
        Quote: Evgeny Kirov
        Nice rocket, simple and reliable. Russia has never been able to create anything of the kind

        X-35, RGSN is better and cheaper, does not start from the submarine, because should not have)))
      3. +1
        19 February 2021 23: 58
        Quote: Evgeny Kirov
        Nice rocket, simple and reliable. Russia has never been able to create anything of the kind

        Too thick, grease drips off the screen. ASM "Uranus" to help you. https://topwar.ru/76289-protivokorabelnaya-raketa-h-35.html
      4. 0
        8 May 2021 15: 48
        x - 35, almost a complete analogue, for all performance characteristics. But mattress toppers could not make analogs of "granite", "volcano" and hardly ever will be able to.
    3. -2
      19 February 2021 09: 31
      A universal thing. Installed everywhere. Well done, American engineers. If the Chinese don't come up with something, in response ...
      1. +5
        19 February 2021 17: 06
        Quote: Andrey Nikolaevich
        A universal thing. Installed everywhere. Well done, American engineers. If the Chinese don't come up with something, in response ...




        Chinese anti-ship missile YJ-83, the Chinese have an analogue of our Onyx, Mosquito, X-31, and X-55 transferred by Ukraine along with documentation
        1. 0
          19 February 2021 17: 58
          About the analogue of Onyx, is it possible in more detail?
          1. +5
            19 February 2021 18: 00

            Chinese anti-ship missile system CX-1
            1. 0
              19 February 2021 19: 23
              This is more likely not Onyx, but Yakhonta (Export version)
        2. +2
          19 February 2021 22: 41
          Chubatye and here, their butt for the loot, framed ..
    4. The comment was deleted.
    5. +2
      19 February 2021 19: 21
      IMHO. Obsolete missiles that only make sense in the fight against the Somali Navy
    6. +2
      19 February 2021 20: 26
      "which has become one of the most widespread in the world" in Turkey 2 or 3 years ago they created their own version: "Harpoon". Probably the Chinese have it.
      Turks and Chinese are famous imitators. How high-quality Turkish copy of "Harpoon" is a difficult question. In general, how much are the copies inferior to the original, and even more so the Turkish development?
      From the guys who passed the Afghan, I heard the assessment of the Chinese: "Kalasha": well made by G. "probably according to this principle and everything is done.
      An acquaintance had a Turkish store gun, imitation: "Beneli". He seemed to be praising it, but the other day I found out that he sold the "Turk" for half the price and bought some Czech. Probably disappointed in Turkish quality
      1. +3
        19 February 2021 22: 46
        My old friend is a graduate of the Navy University, engineer. As he said a clever thing: "You can copy everything - from the ship to the nuclear submarine. But it is impossible to achieve the performance characteristics of the original data, practically. This requires an engineering culture, finance and a scientific base consisting of entire generations."
        1. 0
          20 February 2021 07: 47
          There is no particular objection here
          1. 0
            20 February 2021 08: 54
            So I think so. Moreover, the friend is an engineer. Moreover, an intelligent engineer.
    7. +2
      20 February 2021 14: 43
      Where whiners-Harpoon old-fashioned-they are not used because there are no new versions
    8. 0
      20 February 2021 14: 49
      yes, the name of the nuclear submarine USS Asheville (SSN-758) says a lot about what, for example, it could be signed that Los-Angela is the first or second series
    9. +1
      20 February 2021 14: 52
      the total number of purchased missiles is not yet known - and the Americans usually take old models and upgrade to where they need to - and so with most missiles - even V-V, V-Z, even AIM9 was converted into PRR
    10. 0
      20 February 2021 14: 54
      USS "Olympia" (SSN 717) is the 29th in a series of 62 Los Angeles-class submarines (probably series 2)?
    11. +1
      20 February 2021 14: 58
      the last contract is about the repair of at least 20 Harpoon missiles for the US Navy submarines - have they broken? Maybe the modernization is in question in the contract?

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