Surface Forces: January 29, 2000

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France has canceled plans to produce a new naval anti-ship missile (the Anti-Navaire Futur) because the lack of any significant threat does not justify the high cost. The French had expected to pay $615 million for 200 missiles. Instead, the French Navy will refurbish existing Exocet-MM40 missiles and keep them in service beyond their scheduled retirement of 2005. (Exocet has a range of 75km; ANF was to have had a range of 150km.) France will study the idea of a longer-range version of its ASMP air-launched nuclear cruise missile.--Stephen V Cole