Editing Exocet (section)

===Falklands War===
[[File:Super Etendard ARA 204.jpg|thumb|''Sue 204'' ([[Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard]]) of Argentina's [[2da Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque|2nd Navy Squadron]], used in the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' attack]]

In 1982, during the [[Falklands War]], [[Argentine Navy]] [[Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard]] warplanes carrying the AM39 air-launched version of the Exocet caused damage which sank the [[Royal Navy]] destroyer {{HMS|Sheffield|D80|6}} on 4 May 1982. Two more Exocets struck the 15,000-ton merchant ship {{ship||Atlantic Conveyor}} on 25 May. Two MM38 ship-to-ship missiles were removed from the [[destroyer]] [[USS Hank (DD-702)|ARA ''Seguí'']], a former [[United States Navy|US Navy]] {{sclass|Allen M. Sumner|destroyer|0}} destroyer, and transferred to an improvised launcher for land use.<ref>{{cite book |last=Scheina |first=Robert L. |title=Latin America's Wars Volume II: The Age of the Professional Soldier, 1900–2001 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1RGRWilHbtQC&pg=PA316 |date=2003 |publisher=Potomac Books Inc. |isbn=978-1-57488-452-4 |page=316}}</ref> The missiles were launched on 12 June 1982 and one hit the destroyer {{HMS|Glamorgan|D19|6}}.

====HMS ''Sheffield''====
''[[HMS Sheffield (D80)|Sheffield]]'' was a [[Type 42 destroyer|Type 42]] [[guided missile destroyer]].  On 4 May 1982, Sheffield was at defence watches (second-degree readiness) the southernmost of three Type 42 destroyers when she was hit by one of two AM39 air-launched Exocet missiles fired by Argentine Super Étendard [[strike fighter]]s. The second missile splashed into the sea about half-mile off her [[beam (nautical)|port beam]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D5E979F4-CD1D-4626-86B5-F432355861EA/0/phase2_part2_narrative_of_attach.pdf |title=Sheffield Board Of Inquiry: Narrative of the attack |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212000955/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D5E979F4-CD1D-4626-86B5-F432355861EA/0/phase2_part2_narrative_of_attach.pdf |archive-date=12 December 2007 |date= 22 July 1982 |page= 6}}</ref>

The missile that struck ''Sheffield'' impacted on the starboard side at deck level 2, travelling through the junior ratings' scullery and breaching the Forward Auxiliary Machinery Room/Forward Engine Room bulkhead {{convert|2.4|m|ftin}} above the waterline, creating a hole in the hull roughly {{convert|1.2|by|3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. It appears that the warhead did not explode.<ref>{{cite report |date=28 May 1982 |title=Loss of HMS Sheffield – Board of Inquiry |url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9D8947AC-D8DC-4BE7-8DCC-C9C623539BCF/0/boi_hms_sheffield.pdf |publisher=[[Commander-in-Chief Fleet]] |location=[[Northwood Headquarters|Northwood]] |page=2 |access-date=9 December 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206212020/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9D8947AC-D8DC-4BE7-8DCC-C9C623539BCF/0/boi_hms_sheffield.pdf |archive-date=6 February 2012}}</ref> Twenty members of her crew were killed and 26 injured. The ship foundered while under tow on 10 May. The loss of ''Sheffield'' was a deep shock to the British public and government.

The official Royal Navy Board of Inquiry Report stated that evidence indicates that the warhead did not detonate. During the four and a half days that the ship remained afloat, five salvage inspections were made and a number of photographs were taken. Members of the crew were interviewed and testimony was given by Exocet specialists (the Royal Navy had 15 surface combat ships armed with Exocets in the Falklands War). There was no evidence of an explosion, although burning propellant from the rocket motor caused fires which could not be checked as firefighting equipment had been put out of action.

==== SS ''Atlantic Conveyor'' ====
''Atlantic Conveyor'' was a 14,950 ton [[roll-on/roll-off]] [[container ship]] that had been hastily converted to carry aircraft on her deck. She was carrying helicopters and supplies, including cluster bombs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/the-atlantic-conveyor/|title=The Atlantic Conveyor |publisher= Think Defence|date=20 March 2016|website=www.thinkdefence.co.uk}}</ref> Two Exocet missiles had been fired at a frigate, but had been confused by its defences and re-targeted the ''Atlantic Conveyor''. Both missiles struck the container ship on her port quarter and warheads exploded either after penetrating the ship's hull,<ref>{{cite book
  | last = Chant
  | first = Christopher
  | title = Air War in the Falklands 1982
  | publisher = Osprey Publishing
  | year = 2001
  | location = Oxford
  | page = 55
  | isbn = 978-1-84176-293-7}}
</ref> or on impact.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/EC14467A-DFAF-4030-BDFB-9E1AAF00205E/0/boi_atlanticconveyorpt1.pdf |title=Board of Enquiry (Report) Loss of SS Atlantic Conveyor |access-date=2012-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012134301/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/EC14467A-DFAF-4030-BDFB-9E1AAF00205E/0/boi_atlanticconveyorpt1.pdf |archive-date=12 October 2012}}</ref> Witness [[Prince Andrew]] reported that debris caused "splashes in the water about a quarter of a mile away".<ref name="gh19831112">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NPs9AAAAIBAJ&pg=4110,2766700|title=Prince Andrew talks of Falklands horror|work=Glasgow Herald|date=14 November 1983|page=2}}</ref> Twelve men were killed and the survivors were taken to HMS ''Hermes''. ''Atlantic Conveyor'' sank while under tow three days later. 

==== HMS ''Invincible'' ====
On 30 May, two Super Étendards, one carrying Argentina's last remaining air-launched Exocet, escorted by four [[Douglas A-4 Skyhawk|Douglas A-4C Skyhawks]], each with two 500 lb bombs, took off to attack the carrier [[HMS Invincible (R05)|HMS ''Invincible'']].<ref name="FreedmanUK)2005">{{cite book|first= Sir Lawrence |last=Freedman |series=The Official History of the Falklands Campaign |title=Volume 2: War and diplomacy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BEjOdVzx9UcC|date=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-7146-5207-8|page=545 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Argentine intelligence had sought to determine the position of ''Invincible'' from analysis of aircraft flight routes from the task force to the islands.<ref name="FreedmanUK)2005"/>  However, the British had a standing order that all aircraft conduct a low level transit when leaving or returning to the ship to disguise her position.<ref name="Pook2008">{{cite book|author=Jerry Pook|title=RAF Harrier Ground Attack: Falklands |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xuskCwAAQBAJ|date= 2008|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=978-1-84884-556-5|page=132 |via=Google Books}}</ref>  This tactic compromised the Argentine attack, which focused on a group of escorts 40 miles south of the main body of ships.<ref name="Morgan2007">{{cite book|author=David Morgan|title=Hostile Skies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wDtxAAAACAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Phoenix|isbn=978-0-7538-2199-2|page=240 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Two of the attacking Skyhawks were shot down: one by a [[Sea Dart]] missile fired by [[HMS Exeter (D89)|HMS ''Exeter'']],<ref name="Morgan2007"/><ref name="FreedmanUK)2005"/> and while the fate of the Exocet has never been established beyond doubt, the crew of HMS ''Avenger'' claimed that their 4.5-inch gun had shot it down.<ref name="Southby-Tailyour2014">{{cite book|first=Ewen |last=Southby-Tailyour |title=Exocet Falklands: The Untold Story of Special Forces Operations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kY_PBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT238|date=2014|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=978-1-4738-3513-9|page=238 |via=Google Books}}</ref>  No damage was caused to any British vessels.<ref name="FreedmanUK)2005"/>

==== HMS ''Glamorgan'' ====
''[[HMS Glamorgan]]'' was a {{sclass2|County|destroyer|0}} destroyer launched in 1964.  On 12 June 1982 an MM38 Exocet missile was fired from an improvised shore-based launcher as she was steaming at about {{convert|20|kn|km/h|0}} {{convert|18|nmi|km|0}} offshore. The first attempt to fire a missile did not result in a launch; on the second attempt, a missile was launched but did not acquire the target. The third attempt resulted in a missile tracking ''Glamorgan''. The incoming Exocet missile was also spotted on ''Glamorgan''<ref name="InskipIan">{{cite book|last=Inskip |first=Ian |date=2002 |title=Ordeal by Exocet: HMS Glamorgan and the Falklands War, 1982 |publisher=Chatham |pages=160–185 |isbn=1-86176-197-X}}</ref> and a turn was ordered to present the stern to the missile.

The turn prevented the missile from striking the ship's side and penetrating the hull; instead, it hit the deck [[coaming]] at an angle, near the port [[Seacat (missile)|Seacat missile launcher]], skidded along the deck and exploded, making a {{convert|10|x|15|ft|0|abbr=on}} hole in the hangar deck and a {{convert|5|x|4|ft|abbr=on}} hole in the galley below.<ref name="InskipIan" /> The blast travelled forwards and down, and the missile body, still travelling forwards, penetrated the hangar door, causing the ship's fuelled and armed [[Westland Wessex|Westland Wessex HAS.3]] helicopter (XM837) to explode and start a severe fire in the hangar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukserials.com/losses-1982.htm|title=UK Military Aircraft Losses: 1982 losses|website=ukserials}}</ref> Fourteen crew members were killed.<ref>{{cite book |last=Inskip|first= Ian |title=Ordeal by Exocet: HMS Glamorgan and the Falklands War |year=2002|publisher=Chatham |isbn=186176197X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, 1980–89 |url=https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1980-89.htm |access-date=2021-02-13 |website=Naval History Homepage}}</ref>

==== Post–Falklands war ====
In the years after the Falklands War, it was revealed that the British government and the [[MI6|Secret Intelligence Service]] (MI6) had been extremely concerned at the time by the perceived inadequacy of the Royal Navy's anti-missile defences against the Exocet and the missile's potential to tip the naval war decisively in favour of the Argentine forces. A scenario was envisioned in which one or both of the force's two aircraft carriers ({{HMS|Invincible|R05|2}} and {{HMS|Hermes|R12|2}}) were destroyed or incapacitated by Exocet attacks, which would make recapturing the Falklands much more difficult.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Actions were taken to contain the Exocet threat. A major intelligence operation was initiated to prevent the Argentine Navy from acquiring more of the weapons on the international market.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.falklands.info/history/hist82article17.html |title=John Nott's Story |first=Harold |last=Briley |journal=Falkland Islands Newsletter |number=81 |date=May 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122064540/http://falklands.info/history/hist82article17.html |archive-date=22 November 2010|quote=<!-- A remarkable worldwide operation then ensured to prevent further Exocets being bought by Argentina. I authorised our agents to pose as bona fide purchasers of equipment on the international market, ensuring that we outbid the Argentineans. Other agents identified Exocet missiles in various markets and covertly rendered them inoperable, based on information from the French. -->}}</ref> The operation included British intelligence agents claiming to be arms dealers able to supply large numbers of Exocets to Argentina, who diverted Argentina from pursuing sources which could genuinely supply a few missiles. France denied deliveries of Exocet AM39s purchased by Peru to avoid the possibility that Peru might supply them to Argentina because they{{clarify|reason=unclear antecedent|date=October 2021}} knew that payment would be made with credit from the [[Central Reserve Bank of Peru|Central Bank of Peru]]. British intelligence had detected the guarantee was a deposit of two hundred million dollars from the Andean Lima Bank, an owned subsidiary of the Italian [[Banco Ambrosiano]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Freedman |title=The Official History of the Falklands Campaign: War and Diplomacy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSsxmXWChqIC&pg=PA380 |date=2005 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-7146-5207-8 |page=380}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-190366-2012-03-25.html |title=A las Malvinas en subte |date=25 March 2012 |newspaper=[[Página/12]] |language=es |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115153830/https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-190366-2012-03-25.html |archive-date=15 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>