AS.34 Kormoran

The AS.34 Cormorant is an airborne anti-ship missile, the ( now EADS ) was developed for the naval aviation of the Bundeswehr originally from MBB.

Originally, the Bundeswehr wanted to procure the American AGM -12 Bullpup or the French AS.30 as an anti- ship missile, but the claims made ​​of them could not fulfill both missiles. So was commissioned in 1964 MBB to develop the cormorant. As a basis, the French AS.33 was taken and further developed with Aérospatiale to AS.34. The name cormorant got the AS.34 only after 1967. Because at the same time (1967 ) Aerospatiale developed the Exocet, both missiles are largely identical. The Cormorant has two solid rocket boosters with a burning time of one second and a solid rocket motor with 100s burning time. Targets are detected by active radar. Furthermore, it is equipped with an inertial navigation system, enabling her to a minimum altitude of 30 m. The Cormorant is operating under the fire-and -forget principle rocket. First flight tests took place in 1970 with the F- 104G and from 1973, series production. A total of 350 AS.34 Cormorant 1 were delivered.

From 1983, the development of the Cormorant 2, an improved version of the Cormorant started. In their analog electronics were replaced with digital, thus it is much more resistant to electronic countermeasures. Further, the radar seeker head was replaced, and the booster and the main drive. Thus, the rocket was 630 kg heavier though, but it was because the new electronics took up less space, a larger 220 -kg warhead to be installed.

The warhead has the particularity that in his coat 2x 9 projectile-forming charge are incorporated (EFP ), which can penetrate up to 12 shipbuilding bulkhead.

For the use of multi-role combat aircraft Panavia Tornado from a special data interface ( MCS 3) and a special launcher had to be used. As of 1991, approximately 140 pieces AS.34 Cormorant 2 were put into service.