French ''Malafon'' AS Missile

By Crusader1307

The Cold War Era ''Malafon'' was a French Naval Anti-Submarine Missile System deployed with The French Navy from 1966 to 1997. A ''Glider'' Torpedo, The ''Malafon'' was launched from a Surface Ship upon which it's solid fuel propellant activated – thus ''skimming'' the surface of water to a pre-determined (programmed) level, upon which The Missile submerged and (relying on passive radar guidance), moved to target (Enemy Submarine). Weighing 400-lbs, ''Malafon'' was 15-feet long and had rear fin stabilization (flight wings). Capable of reaching 600-feet submerged, The Missile had a 5-meter blast (HE) range. No Nuclear Versions were developed. It was one of France's longest serving Cold War weapons when retired in 1997.