ARMAT

The ARMAT missile is a development of the Anglo-French Martel anti-radar missile. Martel was developed by British Aerospace as an anti-ship missile, while Britain adopted ALARM for new ARM missile. France instead adopted the Exocet as their anti-ship missile, and used the ARMAT as new anti-radar weapon. This missile is unusually slow and huge when compared to western anti-radar missiles, reflecting the original anti-ship task of the ancestor, the AJ.37 Martel.

ARMAT is not well known in details. It is a two stage solid propelled missile, highly subsonic, with a range up to 120 km. The powerful warhead weights 150 kg with proximity fuse and delayed impact. The ARMAT was operational since 1984. It was used as main, if not exclusive anti-radar weapon by French aviation, employed with Jaguars against Libyans during Operation Epervier. It was also used by Iraqi aviation against Iranian defences.

ARMAT is used by Mirage F.1, Mirage 2000 and some other French aircraft, but not with the new Rafale. An improved product, the MARS, was proposed in 1988. In early '90s it seems that the basic ARMAT was upgraded with better electronic systems.