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MissilesIn service
Short-range air-to-air missile
R.550 Magic is a short-range air-to-air missile originating in France. It was built by Matra , MBDA France. Reported operators include Egypt, France, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine.
FranceAI-generated illustration · Not a photograph — Magic2 pictured capped display configuration with orange bands; aircraft/pylon excluded. Exterior details are illustrative, not specification evidence.
ForceTally · AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph · Adapted from 玄史生 (CC BY-SA 3.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matra_R550_Loaded_on_Pylon_of_Mirage_2000-5EI_2046_20120811.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0 · AI-generated illustration · Source ↗ · ModifiedShort-range air-to-air missile
France
1968 (Magic) and 1986 (Magic 2)
See Operators
South African Border War Iran-Iraq War
Matra , MBDA France
$38 000 - $90 000 (USD)
89 kg (196 lb)
2.72 m (8 ft 11 in)
2.75 Meters
157 mm (6 in)
0.66 Metres
High explosive pre-fragmented 12.7 kg (28 lb) warhead
Contact and RF proximity fuzing
Richard single-stage butylene solid-propellant rocket
Solid fuel
10 km (6 mi) (Magic 1) 20 km (12 mi) (Magic 2)
18,000 m (59,000 ft)
Mach 3 (Magic 1) Mach 2 (Magic 2)
Infrared homing
British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS.51 , Dassault Étendard IV , Dassault Mirage III , Dassault Mirage 5 , Dassault Mirage F1 , Dassault Mirage 2000 , Dassault Super Étendard , Dassault Rafale , General Dynamics F-16 , Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 LanceR , SEPECAT Jaguar , Vought F-8E(FN) .
Egypt
France
India
Morocco
Pakistan
Peru : Magic 1 and 2 on Mirage 2000
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
Ukraine
Argentina : Magic 1 on the Mirage IIIEA, Dagger, Mirage 5P Mara and Super Étendard.
Australia : Magic 1 on the Mirage IIIO.
Brazil : Magic 2 on Mirage 2000B/C.
Ecuador : Magic 2 on Mirage F1.
Greece : Magic 2 on Mirage 2000EGM.
Iraq : Magic 1 and 2 on Mirage F1.
Jordan
Kuwait : Magic 1 and 2 on Mirage F1.
Libya
Oman
Romania : Magic 2 on MiG-21 LanceR.
South Africa : Magic 1 on the Mirage F1.
Venezuela : On the Mirage 50.
The R.550 Magic ( backronym for Missile Auto-Guidé Interception et Combat ) is a short-range air-to-air missile designed in 1965 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder , and it was made backwards compatible with the Sidewinder launch hardware.
Its diameter is larger than the Sidewinder's, which is 5 inches (127 mm) and a legacy of the US Navy's five-inch rocket, from which the AIM-9 is derived; the larger diameter simplified engineering.
The missile features a 13kg pre-fragmented controlled splinter warhead which makes up 14.6% of the missile's total weight, and uses a proximity fuse for detonation. The warhead is armed 1.8 seconds after launch, making its minimum WEZ (Weapon Employment Zone) 0.3 kilometers (0.18 miles). It utilizes a Richard single-stage butylene solid-propellant rocket for propulsion, propelling it to speeds up to Mach 3 for the Magic 1, and Mach 2 for the Magic 2. The missile can be outfitted on any aircraft capable of firing the AIM-9 Sidewinder . If the missile misses, it self-destructs after 26 seconds.
While the missile was satisfactory as a dogfight missile in the 1980s, it is outdated by today's standards. The Magic 2 replaced the AD3601 seeker head by the all-aspect AD3633, allowing all-aspect capability (the Magic 1 can only be fired from the rear on the target). The Magic 1 has a transparent dome on its nose, while the Magic 2 is opaque. The Magic 2 also had a reduced amount of time required for the weapon to be prepared for launch. The seeker head has a gimbal limit of 30 degrees, meaning that it can track targets up to 30 degrees off of its boresight. Once launched, the R.550 Magic 1 is capable of withstanding 35g's, and the Magic 2 capable of 50g's.
On 8 October 1996, 7 months after the escalation over Imia/Kardak a Greek Mirage 2000 fired an R550 Magic II and shot down a Turkish F-16D over the Aegean Sea . The Turkish pilot died, while the co-pilot ejected and was rescued by Greek forces. In August 2012, after the downing of a Turkish RF-4E on the Syrian Coast , in response to a parliamentary question, Turkish Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz confirmed that Turkish F-16D Block 40 (s/n 91-0023) of 192 Filo was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000 with an R.550 Magic II on 8 October 1996 in the disputed airspace near Chios island.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) received a number of R.550 missiles before a widespread international arms embargo took effect in 1977. SAAF Mirage F1 aircraft carried the R.550. South African Mirage F1s fired early generation R550 missiles in combat over Angola against MiG-21 and MiG-23 adversaries on a number of occasions. In all but one case, the missiles failed to damage or destroy the MiGs. In an engagement between a Mirage F1CZ and MiG-21 in October 1982, two R.550s were fired by SAAF Major Rankin and one of them damaged the FAPLA MiG-21. The limited performance envelope of early generation R.550s led South Africa to begin developing an indigenous AAM called the V-3 Kukri.
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
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Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 0.157 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
R.550 Magic equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Argentina
Ecuador
Egypt France
India
Kuwait
Morocco
Pakistan
Peru
Taiwan
Ukraine
United Arab EmiratesEgypt, France, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine
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