Exocet SM39

The submarine-launched variant of France's Exocet anti-ship missile family, ejected from a standard 21-inch torpedo tube inside a buoyant capsule before igniting once clear of the water. It arms French Navy attack and ballistic-missile submarines with a sea-skimming anti-ship strike option.

In service since 1984 · 6 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km range

165

kg warhead

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

French export-licensed

CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.

Channel: DGA / direct commercial

Fielded & proven

Established · 6 operators

In service since 1984. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 50 km

Stronger than 29% of missiles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.: 165 kg

Stronger than 47% of missiles
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.: HE shaped-charge fragmentation
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.: Inertial navigation, Active radar terminal seeker

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 4.69 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 655 kg

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Solid-fuel rocket

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 6

Stronger than 59% of missiles

Specifications compiled from public MBDA and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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