Matra R.550 Magic

• Is Missile — yes • Name — R.550 Magic • Origin — France • Type — Short-range air-to-air missile • Used By — See Operators • Wars — South African Border War Iran-Iraq War • Manufacturer — Matra, MBDA France • Unit Cost — $38 000 - $90 000 (USD) • Propellant — Solid fuel • Service — 1968 (Magic) and 1986 (Magic 2) • Engine — Richard single-stage butylene solid-propellant rocket • Length — ftin • Height — 2.75 Meters • Wingspan — 0.66 Metres • Speed — Mach 3 (Magic 1) Mach 2 (Magic 2) • Vehicle Range — (Magic 1) (Magic 2) • Filling — High explosive pre-fragmented warhead • Guidance — Infrared homing • Detonation — Contact and RF proximity fuzing • Launch Platform — British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS.51, Dassault Étendard IV, Dassault Mirage III, Dassault Mirage 5, Dassault Mirage F1, Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Super Étendard, Dassault Rafale, General Dynamics F-16, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 LanceR, SEPECAT Jaguar, Vought F-8E(FN).

Developed originally as a short-range infrared air-to-air missile, the R.550 was meant to be France's lighter short-range missile, replacing the previous heavy R.530. During a trial on 11 January 1965, a Gloster Meteor of the centre for in-flight trials fired an R.550 Magic and shot down a Nord CT20 target drone. The Magic was then mass-produced from 1967 and was adopted by the French Air Force and Navy for active service. During tests with Indian MiG-21s, six Magic-1 missiles all score hits on Chukar target drones. An upgraded version, the Magic 2, replaced the original model in 1986. In total, 11,300 Magics (7,000 Magic 1s and 4,000 Magic 2s) were produced; they were exported, notably to Iraq and Greece, who used them in combat. The Magic has been used by the Dassault Rafale, Dassault Mirage 2000, F-16, Sea Harrier (FRS51), MiG-21, Super Étendard, Mirage F1, Mirage 5, and Mirage III. However, it is gradually being replaced by the MBDA MICA. 480 Magics were sold to Taiwan and are used by the Republic of China Air Force's Mirage 2000s. The PL-7 is the Chinese reversed-engineered version of the R.550 Magic 1.

• Illustration — Operators:

* * * • Morocco * • Peru: Magic 1 and 2 on Mirage 2000 * * *

• Magic 1 on the Mirage IIIEA, Dagger, Mirage 5P Mara and Super Étendard. • Magic 1 on the Mirage IIIO. • Magic 2 on Mirage 2000B/C. • Ecuador: Magic 2 on Mirage F1. • Magic 2 on Mirage 2000EGM. • Iraq: Magic 1 and 2 on Mirage F1. * • Magic 1 and 2 on Mirage F1. • Libya • Oman • Magic 2 on MiG-21 LanceR. • Magic 1 on the Mirage F1. • On the Mirage 50.

On 8 October 1996, 7 months after the escalation over Imia/Kardak a Greek Mirage 2000 fired an R550 Magic II and shot down a Turkish F-16D over the Aegean Sea. The Turkish pilot died, while the co-pilot ejected and was rescued by Greek forces. In August 2012, after the downing of a Turkish RF-4E on the Syrian Coast, in response to a parliamentary question, Turkish Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz confirmed that Turkish F-16D Block 40 (s/n 91-0023) of 192 Filo was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000 with an R.550 Magic II on 8 October 1996 in the disputed airspace near Chios island.

The South African Air Force (SAAF) received a number of R.550 missiles before a widespread international arms embargo took effect in 1977. SAAF Mirage F1 aircraft carried the R.550. South African Mirage F1s fired early generation R550 missiles in combat over Angola against MiG-21 and MiG-23 adversaries on a number of occasions. In all but one case, the missiles failed to damage or destroy the MiGs. In an engagement between a Mirage F1CZ and MiG-21 in October 1982, two R.550s were fired by SAAF Major Rankin and one of them damaged the FAPLA MiG-21. The limited performance envelope of early generation R.550s led South Africa to begin developing an indigenous AAM called the V-3 Kukri.