SS.12/AS.12

NORD SS.12/AS.12
Royal Navy AS.12, as carried by Westland Wasp helicopters
Type	Surface-to-surface or air-to-surface missile
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1960–present
Production history
Manufacturer	Aerospatiale
Produced	1957–1982
No. built	10000+
Specifications
Mass	76 kg
Length	1.87 m
Diameter	180 mm (body) 210 mm (warhead)
Wingspan	650 mm
Warhead weight	28 kg
Engine	solid fuel rocket
Operational range	7000/8000 m
Maximum speed	370 km/h
Guidance system	wire MCLOS
Steering system	thrust deflection
Launch platform	Helicopter, aircraft, ground unit

External images
Aérospatiale SS.12/AS.12
AS.12(M)fitted Alouette III
AS.12(M) fired from French Navy LYNX
SS.12(M) fired from small patrol boat
AS.12(M) French Navy Alouette III
Manufacture's Fact Sheet

The SS.12 and AS.12 are two variants of the same missile: SS for surface-to-surface and AS for air-to-surface. It was designed in 1955–1957 by Nord Aviation, later Aérospatiale. It was a derivative of the NORD SS.10 and SS.11 missiles which were surface-to-surface wire-guided missiles for use by infantry, vehicle or a helicopter primarily in the anti-tank role, but also anti-material, anti-personnel and against light field fortifications. The SS.12/AS.12 was basically a scaled-up version of the SS.11/AS.11, with a massive increase in range and warhead weight. The SS.12/AS.12 original mission was primarily to be anti-shipping from naval helicopters and combat aircraft or ground launchers, and secondarily for use against heavy field fortifications. The range and the destructive power of its warhead are roughly equivalent to a 127 mm (5-inch) artillery shell.^[1]