France MBDA
R550 Magic
French infrared-homing short-range air-to-air missile developed by Matra (now part of MBDA), fielded on Mirage and other French fighters.
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗
10
km range
3
Mach
13
kg warhead
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Competitive field
188 comparable systems from 43 other manufacturers
Counted in the WeaponSpecs database: missiles built by another manufacturer. A count of what this catalog holds, not a survey of the whole market. See the alternatives →
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 3 Mach |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 10 km |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 13 kg |
|---|---|
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | High-explosive fragmentation |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Infrared homing |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Solid-fuel rocket |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public MBDA and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-05.
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Boeing AGM-86 ALCM Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the MBDA R550 Magic? +
The MBDA R550 Magic has a maximum range of 10 km.
