The Malafon was an anti-submarine missile in service with the French Navy during the Cold War. It was launched from destroyers and it was guided by either a sonar or radar, depending on submerged or surface target. It was developed in the second half of the 1950s, entering service in 1966, after almost ten years of launch trials and technical shortcoming corrections and upgrading. It was designed and produced by the French company Société Industrielle d'Aviation Latécoère.
The development of the Malafon began in 1956. The first launch trials were carried out from the ground and from aircraft. The first problem that engineers encountered was maintaining the right cruising height after the launch booster had burned out. This shortcoming was eventually overcome by using a radio altimeter to measure and keep a constant altitude of about 100 m (330 feet) by changing the wing incidence to increase lift as the missile speed fell.
Launch and guidance trials at sea began from the destroyer La Galissonnière in June 1962. The operational sonar system and artillery-type radar were installed on this ship two years later. Having been introduced into active service, five anti-submarine destroyers of the Type-47 Maille Brézé class and the frigates Duquesne and Suffrene were fitted out with Malafon anti-submarine missiles and the advanced sonar and radar to guide it to its target.
Technical Characteristics
The Malafon missile had a cylindrical body, with tapered, cone-shaped tail. The short wing was mounted on the middle of the body, while the two-fin tailplane was set up on top of rear portion of body. To launch it, propellant boosters were used. However, it glided unpowered during cruising flight.
Specifications
Type: anti-submarine missile.
Weight: 1,500 kg (3,305-lb)
Length: 6.15 m (20 feet, 2 inches)
Body Diameter: 0.65 m (2 feet, 1.5 inches)
Wing Span: 3.3 m (1 feet, 1 inch)
Warhead: 525-kg (1,157-lb) High Explosive.
Speed: 830 km/h (515 mph)
Guidance System: radar/sonar acoustic-homing.
Range: 13 km (8 miles).
Below, the Malafon Mk-2 on board the French destroyer Vouquelin.
Photo of the Malafon anti-ship missile during the trial phase.
