MBDA Exocet SM39 missile
The
MBDA Exocet SM39 missile is an air- or submarine-launched
anti-ship missile designed by the
French aerospace company
Aerospatiale (whose missile business is now part of European consortium
MBDA). The Exocet is capable of hitting targets 50 kilometers away and travels at 1,210
kilometers per hour. The missile carries a 165
kg HE charge with both delayed impact and
proximity fuses.
The Exocet consists of a steel-cased Tristan solid propellant motor and a Narval booster motor placed within a launch capsule.
The SM39 is used by France, Pakistan, and probably Spain.
It was used by Argentinian forces during the Falklands War in 1982 with some success (see HMS Sheffield).