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The damage to HMS Sheffield after it was struck by an Exocet missile in May 1982. Photograph: PA/PA Archive/Press Association Ima The British public became fascinated by the Exocet missile after one sunk HMS Sheffield shortly after the outbreak of the Falklands war in 1982. Before long, the word Exocet was being used as a metaphor for anything that was suddenly and unstoppably destructive: a winning argument, for example, or a footballer’s shot on goal. Although Argentina possessed only five of the missiles, Margaret Thatcher’s war cabinet was also fascinated by them, because they knew a successful strike on...

Helibras opened the doors of its plant on Tuesday, 25, 2016 and performed a flight demonstration of the first armed H225M of the Brazilian Navy. It is the most complex helicopter being produced and developed by the company's Engineering Center within the H-XBR program. Brazil Navy H225M Exocet 1First flight of the Brazilian Navy H225M helicopter fitted with Exocet anti-ship missiles. Picture: Helibras The BRA-05 prototype is fitted with the Naval Mission Tactical System, developed by Helibras especially for Navy missions, APS-143 maritime patrol radar, Chaff & Flare decoy launchers and intelligence system with two MBDA Exocet AM39 Block II...

Brazilian navy successfully tests Exocet missile with engine manufactured in the country The Brazilian navy successfully tested an Exocet MM40 missile totally designed, developed and manufactured in the country by Avibras and with the support from the European group MBDA, partly owned by BAE Systems. This is the first time the Brazilian Navy makes a test of this kind targeted to strike surface vessels and which represents “the country’s autonomy in the development and manufacturing of medium range missiles’ engines”, according to reports in the Rio media. The innovation achieved with missile engines, and tested with the launching of the...

France qualifies new Exocet missile Published: Dec. 23, 2010 at 12:15 PM PARIS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- MBDA's Block 3 version of the MM40 Exocet anti-ship missile has been given its operational qualification by the French Defense Ministry's armaments agency. The Direction generale de l'armement, or DGA, said approval was given Dec. 6 and the first four missiles were formally accepted Dec. 16 by DGA's quality control department. An initial batch of 45 missiles, ordered in 2008 from prime contractor MBDA, will be delivered to the French navy between the end of this year and mid-2013. The original version of...

French Navy Tests New Exocet Missile 25 March 2010 The French Navy has successfully carried out a test launch of the first block 3 variant of its Exocet MM40 anti-ship missile. The navy said the missile was launched from the Horizon Class Chevalier Paul frigate from the Isle of Levant, off Toulon. The Exocet block 3 is a surface-to-surface missile that features open ocean, littoral and coastal land attack capabilities with an extended range out to 180km. The anti-ship missile incorporates stealth features and operates on the "fire and forget" principle, it can fly at 315m a second and carry...

Falklands’ war tested modernized Super Etendard in Argentine Navy’s agenda The possible transfer to Argentina of a refurbished model of the French manufactured fighter-bomber Super Etendard, which had an outstanding performance during the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict, is under consideration by the French Ministry of Defence, reveals the French publication, Mer & Marine. The operation which includes giving the Argentines part of the sophisticated avionics of the Super Etendard Modernized (SEM) model would take place in 2015 when the French navy will de decommissioning their air fleet to be replaced by the new Rafale. However in the event of the...

The United Arab Emirates has dropped a bombshell on France's Dassault, according to this UPI story today. Before it agrees to buy 60 Rafale fighters, the UAE wants Dassault to integrate Boeing's standoff land attack missile-expanded response (SLAM-ER), instead of the MBDA AM-39 Exocet. Sacre bleu! And so continues the most tortuous contract negotiations since Boeing offered to lease 100 767s to the US Air Force. Meanwhile, back in Paris, the Armee de l'Air leaks to French newsweekly Air & Cosmos, providing a few more tidbits about what happened between the Raptor and the Rafale at the Al Dhafra exercise...

Flying fish with a deadly bite: naval forces await third-generation Exocet By Richard Scott 15 April 2009 There are occasions where an event in military history becomes inextricably linked to the impact of a specific weapon or equipment. For example, public recognition of the Exocet anti-ship missile will forever be associated with the events that took place in the South Atlantic on 4 May 1982. On that day, two AM39 Exocet missiles were launched from Argentine Navy Super Etendard strike aircraft against UK Royal Navy ships deployed to retake the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. Although ravaged by fire, the hulk of...

How the Falklands War was won By Michael Novak Last Updated: 1:03pm BST 27/03/2007 The opening phases of the Falklands Conflict began in December 1981 when more than 40 Argentine "scrap metal workers" landed on the island of South Georgia, pointedly refusing to report to the British base at Grytviken to have their entry visas stamped. Project Alpha was a deliberate operation designed by the new military junta of Gen Leopoldo Galtieri to test British will ahead of Project Azul, a full-scale invasion of the Falkland Islands. The Argentinians eventually left but returned on March 19, 1982 - this time...

A missile fired by Hezbollah, not an unmanned drone laden with explosives, damaged an Israeli warship off Lebanon, the army said Saturday. Elite Iranian troops helped fire the missile... One sailor was killed and three were missing. The intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information, said about 100 Iranian soldiers are in Lebanon and helped fire the Iranian-made, radar-guided C-102 at the ship late Friday. The official added that the troops involved in firing the missile are from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, an elite corps of more than 200,000 fighters that...

French deal stuck; Germans make submarine pitch Saturday July 9 2005 00:00 IST NEW DELHI: With the deal for French Scorpene submarines stuck at the Cabinet level, the Germans are in the country again, pitching hard for their HDW Class 214 submarines to be considered for what will be a Rs 12,000 crore order. With the French making a full attempt to convince the government to close the deal, the Germans are determined to get a foot in the door.Top officials representing the German shipbuilder HDW - including a technical expert from the shipyard and a management top-brass - were...