AM-39 Exocet

AM39 Exocet is the airborne member of MBDA’s Exocet anti-ship missile family. It was designed for launch from strike aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, and helicopters, giving air arms a compact way to threaten surface vessels without relying on shipboard launchers. The family relationship is important because Exocet also exists in ship-, coastal-, and submarine-launched forms.

Exocet is known for a sea-skimming anti-ship attack profile and a broad export footprint. The AM39 variant extends that concept to aircraft, where launch platform speed and altitude can widen engagement options. Its military value comes from forcing ships to defend against low-altitude, short-warning threats while also making smaller aircraft and helicopters relevant in maritime strike roles.

The Exocet family has a long combat and export history, making AM39 useful for understanding how anti-ship missiles shaped late Cold War and modern naval risk. CSIS notes wide international use across variants, which means the missile appears in many regional naval balances rather than only in French service. For readers, this makes AM39 both a technical system and a proliferation case study.