| 29th | Top missiles |
| 4th | Top anti-ship missiles |
| 18th | Top aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm |
| Exocet | |
|---|---|
 An AM39 aircraft-launched Exocet |
|
| Type | Medium-range anti-ship missile |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1979 |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Aérospatiale's division MBDA |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 670 kilograms (1,500 lb) |
| Length | 4.7 metres (15 ft 5 in) |
| Diameter | 34.8 centimetres (1 ft 1.7 in) |
|
|
|
| Warhead | 165 kilograms (360 lb) |
|
|
|
| Engine | solid propellant engine |
| Wingspan | 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in) |
| Operational range |
70–180 kilometres (43–110 mi; 38–97 nmi) |
| Flight altitude | Sea-skimming |
| Speed | 315 metres per second (1,030 ft/s) |
| Guidance system |
Inertial and active radar |
| Launch platform |
multi-platform:
|
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.
Contents |
The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director at Nord Aviation, after a French word for flying fish (Exocoetidae).[1]
The Exocet is built by MBDA, a European missile company. Development began in 1967 by Nord as a ship-launched missile named MM 38. A few years later Aerospatiale and Nord merged. The basic missile body design was based on the Nord AS30 air to ground tactical missile. The air-launched Exocet was developed in 1974 and entered service with the French Navy five years later.[2]
The missile is designed to hit small to medium size warships (eg frigates, corvettes and destroyers). And contrary to some claims it is no serious threat to large warships, like aircraft carriers.[3][4] It is guided inertially in mid-flight, and turns on active radar late in its flight to find and hit its target. Its solid propellant engine gives the Exocet a maximum range of 180 kilometres (110 mi; 97 nmi) for the Block 3 version and 70 kilometres (43 mi; 38 nmi) for previous versions. The submarine-launched version places the missile and a naval booster inside a launch capsule.
The Exocet has been manufactured in a number of versions, including:
The chief competitors to the Exocet are the U.S.-built Harpoon, the Chinese Yingji series and the Swedish built RBS15.
The newest MM40 version (MM40 block 3) has an improved range of 180 kilometres (110 mi; 97 nmi) through the use of a turbofan engine, and includes four air intakes to provide continuous airflow to the engine during high-G maneuvers.
The Block 3 missiles accept guidance system waypoint commands, which allow them to attack naval targets from different angles and to strike land targets, giving them a marginal role as a cruise missile.[7][8]
In 1982, during the Falklands War, Exocet became noted worldwide when Argentine Navy Exocet-equipped Super Etendard warplanes sank the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Sheffield on 4 May, 1982, and the 15,000 ton merchant ship Atlantic Conveyor, were struck by two Exocet anti-ship missiles, on 25 May. Two MM38 ship-to-ship Exocet missiles that were removed and transferred from the old destroyer ARA Seguí, a retired US Sumner class, to an improvised launcher for land use [9] damaged HMS Glamorgan on 12 June.
While the Argentineans claimed that an Exocet-armed Super Etendard attack on 30 May damaged the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, this claim is unfounded, due to the continued air operations of Invincible with no signs of damage. During the conflict the Argentinian Government several times claimed incorrectly that it had damaged several ships, with multiple previous claims to have damaged or sunk the aircraft carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes, the two most important British warships there, and shot down Sea Harriers, due to some combination of the natural confusion of battle and propaganda purposes.
The Exocet that struck HMS Sheffield impacted on the second deck, 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in) above the waterline and penetrated deeply into Sheffield's control room,[10] near to the forward engine room, cracking the hull open roughly 1.2 by 3 metres (3.9 by 9.8 ft). It appears that the warhead did not explode.[11] Accounts suggest that the initial impact of the missile immediately destroyed the ship's onboard electricity generating systems and fractured the water main, preventing the anti-fire mechanisms from operating effectively, and thereby dooming the ship to be consumed by the raging fire. The loss of Sheffield was a major shock to the British. The crew of Sheffield, and other members of the Task Force, were of the opinion that the missile exploded. However, the official report from the Royal Navy Board of Inquiry states that from the evidence available the warhead did not explode. The damage caused was due to the large kinetic energy of the missile, and the unused missile fuel that ignited on impact.
The Exocet that struck Glamorgan detonated, on the port side of the hangar deck punching a hole in the deck and galley below causing fires, the missile body traveled into the hangar causing the fully fuelled and armed wessex helicopter to explode. Prompt action of the officers and men at the helm saved the ship. With less than a minute's warning the incoming missile was being tracked on radar in the operations room and bridge, as the ship was travelling at speed, a turn was ordered to present her stern to the missile.[12] When the missile struck, the ship was heeled far over to starboard and instead of striking the side the missile hit the coaming and was deflected upwards. The dent caused by the impact was clearly visible when Glamorgan was refitted in late 1982.
In the years after the Falklands War it was revealed that the British government and the Secret Intelligence Service were extremely concerned by the perceived inadequacy of the Royal Navy's anti-missile defences against Exocet missiles and its potential to tip the naval war decisively in favour of Argentine forces. In London, a nightmare scenario was envisioned in which one or both of the force’s two aircraft carriers (HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes) would be destroyed or incapacitated by Exocet attacks, which would make recapturing the Falklands much more difficult. To contain the Exocet threat a major intelligence operation was initiated to prevent the Argentine Navy from acquiring more. The operation included British intelligence agents claiming to be arms dealers able to supply large numbers of Exocet to Argentina, diverting Argentina from pursuing sources which could genuinely supply a few missiles. France denied deliveries of Exocet AM39s purchased by Peru to avoid the possibility of them getting to Argentina [13].
Iraq fired an estimated 200 air-launched Exocet against Iranian shipping during the Iran–Iraq War with varying levels of success. Tankers and other civilian shipping were often hit.
On May 17, 1987, the pilot of an Iraqi Mirage F-1 allegedly mistook the U.S. Navy Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate USS Stark for an Iranian tanker and fired two Exocet at the warship. The first penetrated the port-side hull. The second entered at almost the same point, and left a 3-by-4-metre (9.8 by 13 ft) gash, exploding in crew quarters. Thirty-seven sailors were killed and 21 were injured. The Stark was heavily damaged, but saved by the crew and sent back for repairs. The errant pilot was reportedly executed for his error, and his explanations for the attack are not available. Later, Iraqi officials denied that the pilot had been executed and stated that he was still alive.[14]
Argentina
Bulgaria
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Cyprus
Ecuador
Egypt
France
Germany
Greece
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Kuwait
Libya
Malaysia
Morocco
Oman
Pakistan
Peru
Qatar
South Africa
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Venezuela
South Korea
Belgium
United Kingdom
Georgia| Exocet | |
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Panda Games |
| Publisher(s) | Panda Games |
| Release date | Atari 2600: 1982 (NA) |
| Genre | Scrolling Shoot 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Age rating(s) | N/A Atari 2600 |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Input | Atari 2600 Joystick |
| Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough | |
 |
This article is a stub. You can help by adding to it.
Stubs are articles that writers have begun work on, but are not yet complete enough to be considered finished articles. |
   | Argentine Account of the role of the Exocet in the Falklands War - Argentine Aircraft in the Falklands |
| | Photos of Exocet damage to USS Stark - NO HIGHER HONOR: Photos: USS Stark on fire |
| | Netmarine.net - Escorteur d'Escadre Jauréguiberry |
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
External images
