MBDA Otomat

The Otomat, known in the Italian Navy as Teseo, is a long range anti-ship and coastal defence missile developed by the Italian company Oto Melara jointly with the French company Matra and now made by MBDA. Its name comes from the two builders, Oto Melara and Matra, and for later versions from Teseo, the Italian word for Theseus. The program started in 1967 with the aim of building an anti-ship missile with a jet engine, which allows more range and a heavier warhead than the rocket-powered missiles then being developed in Europe. The Italian Navy was the first customer and the missile entered service in January 1976. A Mk2 version, an anti-submarine MILAS variant and a Mk2E that can also attack land targets followed, and the system is in service in twelve countries.