Malkara (missile)

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The Malkara (from an

Design was principally undertaken at the Australian Government Aeronautical Research Laboratory, and this phase was also one of the first examples of computer simulation in engineering design. Development testing was carried out at Woomera Prohibited Area, and approval testing at the tank training range at Lulworth Cove, Dorset. Although testing at Dorset apparently achieved an impressive 90% P_kill, in service the missiles were not considered a great success, due to three principal failures:

• They were considered too heavy. As they were too heavy for manpacking, they could only be operated from their specialist vehicles, reducing flexibility; and
• Accuracy achieved in practice was poor. This may have been because the awkward control system required a lot of practice. Malkara had a training simulator integrated with the launch interface equipment. In their memoirs, some operators state that they only fired one missile in their careers.
• Finally, their speed was low, taking almost 30 seconds to reach maximum range.

However, lessons learned from the Malkara project led to improvements in later programs. In addition, the basic airframe and expertise were directly used in the development of the

 United Kingdom

• British Army

• Length: 1.9 m (6.2 ft)
• Diameter: 200 mm (7.9 in)
• Wingspan: 800 mm (2.6 ft)
• Range: 4,000 m (4,400 yd)
• Propulsion: Dual thrust
  solid rocket
• Speed: 146.19 m/s (327 mph) - low-subsonic, 28 sec to 4 km max range
• Overall weight: 93.5 kg (206 lb)
• Warhead: 26 kg (57 lb)
  HESH
• Guidance:
  MCLOS, using a thumb joystick
  and visual observation of two flares on the wings.
• Number built: 1,000

• Humber Hornet – (United Kingdom, Australia)
• Ruhrstahl X-4 – (Nazi Germany)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malkara missiles.

• War Machine encyclopedia, Aerospace Publishing Ltd., pag. 253 (in Italian version printed by De Agostini, 1984).
• Rockets and Missiles - John W. R. Taylor - Hippo Books No 8 - Hamlyn, 1971 -
  ISBN 0-600-37528-5