French Navy Orders Exocet Block 3 Missiles / Exocet Block 3 Missiles for French Navy / DGA Orders Exocet Block IIIs / MBDA To Upgrade 45 Exocet......

French Navy Orders Exocet Block 3 Missiles / Exocet Block 3 Missiles for French Navy / DGA Orders Exocet Block IIIs / MBDA To Upgrade 45 Exocet Block 2 To Block 3 Missile Standard For French Navy (NSI News Source Info) January 21, 2009: The French defence procurement agency, Délégation Générale pour l’Armement (DGA), in late December awarded a contract to MBDA for the upgrade to Block 3 standard of 45 Exocet Block 2 anti-ship missiles belonging to the French Navy. (MBDA will upgrade an initial batch of French MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles to Block 3 standard, which doubles the range and adds GPS guidance. MBDA photo) The upgraded missiles will be delivered in 2011 and 2012. This order is a result of the development contract for the Exocet MM40 Block 3 awarded in January 2004. DGA qualified the new version missile in April 2008. These missiles will arm the Horizon-class frigates, on which modifications to allow Block 3 integration were also completed in 2008. In future, the MM40 Block 3 will also become the main anti-ship weapon of the FREMM multi-mission frigates. Modifications of the Block 3 Exocet mainly consist in replacing the solid fuel motors fitted to previous versions by a turbojet, and the integration of state-of-the art avionics, including a GPS receiver. These modifications double the missile’s range and allow it to modify its angle of attack to the target, and to engage targets it the littoral zone by designating them using their geographical coordinates.