Editing Exocet (section)

===MM40 Block 3===
In February 2004, the [[Direction générale de l'armement|Direction Générale pour l'Armement]] (DGA) notified MBDA of a contract for the design and production of a new missile, the MM40 Block 3. It has an improved range, in excess of {{convert|180|km|nmi|abbr=off}}{{snd}}through the use of a [[Microturbo TRI-40]] [[turbojet]] engine, and includes four air intakes to provide continuous airflow to the power plant during high-G manoeuvres.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

The Block 3 missile accepts [[satellite guidance|GPS guidance]] system waypoint commands, which allow it to attack naval targets from different angles and to strike land targets, giving it a marginal role as a [[land-attack missile]]. The Block 3 Exocet is lighter than the previous MM40 Block 2 Exocet.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://fas.org/spp/aircraft/part05.htm |chapter=Cruise Missiles: The Other Air Breathing Threat |title=Attack Aircraft Proliferation: Issues For Concern |first1=Christopher |last1=Bolkcom |first2=John |last2=Pike |date=1 April 1993 |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |access-date=10 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310064943/https://fas.org/spp/aircraft/part05.htm |archive-date=10 March 2016}}</ref>

45 Block 3 Exocets were ordered by the French Navy in December 2008 for its ships which were carrying Block 2 missiles, namely [[Horizon-class frigate|''Horizon''-class]] and [[FREMM multipurpose frigate|''Aquitaine''-class]] frigates. From 2021, the Block 3 upgrade was also being extended to three of the [[La Fayette-class frigate]]s selected for life extension refits.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/october/9094-naval-group-starts-renovation-and-upgrade-of-french-navy-courbet-la-fayette-class-frigate.html |title=Naval Group starts renovation and upgrade of French Navy Courbet La Fayette-class frigate |date=October 2020 |work=Navy Recognition |access-date=22 June 2021}}</ref> These are not to be new productions but the conversion of older Block 2 missiles to the Block 3 standard. An MM40 Block 3 last qualification firing took place on the [[Île du Levant]] test range on 25 April 2007 and series manufacturing began in October 2008. The first firing of the Block 3 from a warship took place on 18 March 2010, from the French Navy air defence frigate {{ship|French frigate|Chevalier Paul||2}}. In 2012, a new motor, designed and manufactured in Brazil by the Avibras company in collaboration with MBDA, was tested on an MM40 missile of the [[Brazilian Navy]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Besides the French, the Block 3 has been ordered by several other navies including that of Greece, the [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], Chile,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.janes.com/article/64168/chile-begins-mm40-block-3-exocet-retrofits |title=Chile begins MM40 Block 3 Exocet retrofits |first=Richard |last=Scott |date=28 September 2016 |website=IHS Jane's 360 |access-date=14 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116162120/http://www.janes.com/article/64168/chile-begins-mm40-block-3-exocet-retrofits |archive-date=16 January 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Peru,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://base.mforos.com/862753/3281064-noticias-de-la-marina-del-peru/?pag=2 |title=Perú aprueba 41 millones de dólares para Defensa y se hará finalmente con misiles MM-40 Exocet |date=20 December 2010 |website=Foro Base Naval |language=es |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209165216/https://base.mforos.com/862753/3281064-noticias-de-la-marina-del-peru/?pag=2 |archive-date=9 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Qatar, Oman, Indonesia and Morocco.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=112698 |title=Premier tir de missile Exocet MM40 Block3 par la marine française |date=19 March 2010 |website=Mer et Marine |language=fr |access-date=9 December 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322192311/http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=112698 |archive-date=22 March 2010}}</ref>

The chief competitors to the Exocet are the US-made [[Harpoon (missile)|Harpoon]], the Turkish [[Atmaca]], the Italian [[Otomat]], Israel [[Gabriel (missile)|Gabriel-V]],  the Swedish [[RBS 15]] and the Chinese [[C-802|Yingji]] series.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}