A French research and industry group has succeeded in flying what it claims is the first solid-fuelled ramjet to be tested in Europe. The "Rustique" missile (so called because it promises much lower purchase cost than current liquid-fuelled ramjets) was flown at the Centre d'Essais des Landes. The programme is led by French research institute Onera, and by Matra, with input from Aerospatiale, Celerg and SNPE. The effort is aimed at developing a short-to-medium-range ground-to-air missile, or a highly manoeuvrable air-to-ground missile. Maximum speed is about Mach 3.5.
Source: Flight International