Length:
15 feet, 5 inches

Weight:
1,444 lbs.

Warhead:
363 lbs.

Speed:
684 mph

Range:
43 miles

*Fired from planes or boats, the Exocet is regarded as one of the deadliest anti-ship missiles in the world. Made famous by its devastating impact in the Falklands War, the Exocet has also been used in the Persian Gulf, including an attack against the U.S.S. Stark in 1987. Although it is highly effective against smaller vessels, some doubt it would be able to penetrate the 16 inch armor of a battleship or larger vessel. Allied countermeasures to the Exocet will include chaffe to confuse its radar and Phalanx anti-missile guns to blow the Exocet out of the sky.

Actions in Desert Storm--

Some commanders feared sending the larger U.S. warships into the Persian Gulf because they feared they would become vulnerable to Iraqi Exocet's. Defending against missile attack was a priority for many escort vessels and Navy aircraft on combat air patrol. One report after the war said nearly half of the planes on a carrier's were dedicated to protecting the ships from the Iraqis. Several Iraqi aircraft and ships armed with Exocets were destroyed before they were able to launch their weapons against allied ships in the Gulf.

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