The missile weighed more than 1,300 kg, of which 540 belonged to the L4 torpedo, which makes the “final hunt”. The L4 torpedo has a range of 5 km and a maximum speed of 30 knots, about 55 km/h.The missile was to be launched in an elevation angle of + 15º. After the firing, two disposable thrusters accelerated it during 4 seconds until 830 km/h and once in flight the missile planned freely stabilized by an autopilot and a radio altimeter.Malafon missile was installed in 11 ships. Three were from Tourville destroyer class, 2 from Suffren destroyer class, 4 from Surcouf destroyer class, and Aconit and La Galisonniére destroyers. Each vessel carried 1 launcher with 13 missiles to reload.The versatility of Malafon missile allowed it to attack surface targets. Then, the launcher’s radar was responsible for detection and designation of targets. When attacking submarines it was the sonar of the launching ship that performed both actions.Ideally, the torpedo entered the water no more than 1 km away from its target, then, the acoustic seeker head was activated. Once activated, the missile began its search for its prey in a circular pattern.
