A French navy Rafale M shipboard fighter launched an AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile AM39 in an operational context recently. The aircraft, Rafale M27, was catapulted from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to validate the use of the missile. This flight test marks the end of operational testing and qualification of the Rafale/Exocet combination by the French Navy.

This is the first time that a Rafale belonging to the naval aviation launches an Exocet. The missile was qualified on the Rafale in 2007 by the DGA, as part of the development of the aircraft’s F3 standard. This test milestone paves the way for the operational implementation of this capability in both Rafale squadrons (11F and 12F) of France’s Naval Aviation.