Technical data are: 4.46 m (14.6 ft) length, 40 centimetres (16 in) diameter, 1.35 wingspan, 780 kilograms (1,720 lb) launch weight. The warhead is designed to explode inside the ship with the force of the explosion directed to the bottom of the target ship. They are designed to strike their targets in a 180 m (590 ft) dive or in a sea-skimming mode at an altitude of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) with a 210 kg (460 lb) warhead capable piercing up to 80 millimetres (3.1 in) of steel. Otomat Mk2 missiles have a data-link for mid-course updates. At launch, the boosters propel the missile up to a height of 200 metres (660 ft) before the main engine starts and a descent to 20 m (66 ft) is made. This container has a rectangular shape to accommodate the fixed wings of the missile and an inclination of 15 degrees. It is stored and launched in a fiberglass box which weighs 1,610 kilograms (3,550 lb) fully loaded. The Otomat is a long-range anti-ship missile capable of reaching around 180 kilometres (110 mi) at an average speed of 1,000–1,100 kilometres per hour (620–680 mph). Note the lateral boosters and the air intakes at mid fuselage.
Otomat Mk.2 in service with the Peruvian Navy. Even so, Otomat Mk2 Block II remained bulkier than contemporary versions of Harpoon and Exocet missiles due to its greater diameter and its boosters being fitted to its flanks instead of in the rear. This reduction in size allowed a doubling in the number of missiles carried, usually from four to eight. Īn Mk2 Block II version was introduced in the 1980s, it featured folding wings so that the missile could now fit in a smaller launch boxes. Italy 48, Egypt 30, Venezuela 48, Libya 120, Indonesia 50). Also at this time there were negotiations under way for the sale of 296 more missiles to various nations (i.e. By the end of 1976 OTO Melara had reported that 210 Otomats had been sold: Italy 48, Peru 40, Venezuela 12, and Libya 110. To solve this problem, development of an Mk2 version started in May 1973, with a first test launch in January 1974, development completed in 1976, and the first over-the-horizon launch in 1978. These early Otomat missiles lacked a data link for over-the-horizon targeting, which limited its effective range to 60 kilometres (37 mi) a similar figure to the Exocet. Thus, the Italian Navy remained as the only launch customer for the missile it entered service in January 1976, before the commissioning of the warship intended to carry it, the Lupo-class frigate. However, at that time, the French Navy chose the wholly French Exocet over the Franco-Italian Otomat as its standard anti-ship missile. Trials started in 1971 and development of the Mk1 version of the Otomat officially ended in 1974. The aim was to develop an anti-ship missile powered by a turbofan which would allow more range and a heavier warhead than rocket-powered missiles then being developed in Europe such as the French Exocet and the German Kormoran. The Otomat program was undertaken by the Italian Oto Melara corporation in cooperation with the French Matra Corporation. However, it is unknown whether the Otomat program started before or after the Eilat event. This event raised awareness about the effectiveness of such weapons and prompted the development of similar systems in Western countries, such as the Harpoon in the United States. The Otomat missile program started in 1967, the same year in which the Israeli destroyer Eilat was sunk by three Soviet-made P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles.