The Masurca-MQ2 missile - Protecting the French Naval Fleet for 55 years (WIP)

[DirectSupport 938]

 

 

 

 

 

Masurca was initiated in 1953 by a request from Direction Centrale des Constructions & Armes Navales (DCCAN), to provide shipboard missile systems for Marine Nationale’s new cruisers. Three studies were initiated for short, medium and long range missiles, under the names of Mabranca, Masurca and Masalca. All were built and tested but only one reached the series production status. The short-range Mabranca was soon stopped, the long-range Masalca, a sort of French Talos, was abandoned in 1958 and only the medium range Masurca survived. (Sources 1,)

 

 

Characteristics of MQ2-MD2:  
Length: 8.6m (with booster), 5.3m (without booster) (Source 4,5)
Width: 410 cm (without booster), 560cm (with booster) (Source 4,5)
Finspan: 
Diameter:
Weight: 1989kg (With booster)  

Booster (with propellant): 1010kg

End of burn without booster: 587kg (Source 3,4)

Speed: Mach 3 (Sources 4,5,6)
Minimum Range:
Maximum Range: 50km range, 22km altitude ceiling (Sources 4,5,6)

Tracking Rate: 

Field of View: 
Propulsion: Polka (First Stage), Jacee (Second Stage) 

Polka Motor: 4.6 seconds and 721,760N thrust, 692kg of Isolane. (Source 2,3,4,7)

Jacee Motor: 26 seconds, 392kg of Isolite (Source 3,7) 
Guidance Duration:
Seeker Range:  

Warhead:
Guidance Type: Continuous line-of-sight
Manuevering Capability:
Other capabilities: 

 

 

 

Characteristics of MQ2-MD3: 
Length:  8.6m (with booster), 5.3m (without booster) (Source 4,5)
Width: 410 cm (without booster), 560cm (with booster) (Source 4,5)
Finspan: 
Diameter:
Weight: 2080kg (With booster)  

Booster (with propellant): 1010kg

End of burn without booster: 678kg (Source 3,4)

Speed: Mach 3 (Sources 4,5,6)
Minimum Range:
Maximum Range: 50km range, 22km altitude ceiling (Sources 4,5,6)

Tracking Rate: 

Field of View: 

Propulsion: Polka (First Stage), Jacee (Second Stage) 

Polka Motor: 4.6 seconds and 721,760N thrust, 692kg of Isolane. Booster total: 1,010kg (Source 2,3,4)

Jacee Motor: 392kg of Isolite, 26 seconds (Source 3,7) 
Guidance Duration:
Seeker Range:  

Warhead:
Guidance Type: Semi-active radar homing
Manuevering Capability:
Other capabilities: 

 

 

SOURCES: 

1. http://iafastro.directory/iac/archive/browse/IAC-10/E4/3/6554/ (General history)

2. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/83111/20373260.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (4.6 seconds burn time for Polka + Thrust numbers) 

3. Un Historire Des Poudres: From 1945 to 1975 Volume 2

Cover: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dxoyr1v4Xb593ENS6-zQHccS50YY86aw/view?usp=share_link

Page 121: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JX4hd_5eCGbwrY3_QL_VCEvDITal7EE0/view?usp=share_link

4: https://bulletpicker.com/pdf/World Missile Systems.pdf (Characteristics provided) 

5. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36712818.pdf (Characteristics of missiles + semi-active homing head)

6. https://publicaciones.defensa.gob.es/media/downloadable/files/links/b/o/boletin_ceseden_175.pdf (Characteristics)

7. https://drive.google.com/file/d/18zwnRFAo8ZAT_Ji712gW-YN_rjsdXMuJ/view?usp=sharing (History, characteristics, burn-time for Polka and Jacee)

 

 

Credit to @LeGrandSarrazin for all of his help. 

 

Edited February 1, 2023 by DirectSupport