ASM CITEFA MP1000 Martín Pescador

Martín Pescador was an anti-ship missile developed by CITEFA (the Scientific and Technical Research Institute of the Argentine Armed Forces) since the early 1970s.

The first evaluations were carried out in 1983 from T-28 Trojan aircraft, and the first shot was carried out by Captain Castro Fox in an aircraft of that type modified to be able to operate the missile.

This is a remote-controlled air-to-surface missile. After visually identifying its target, the pilot activates a control in his cockpit, with which he must radio-control the missile during its flight. To assist him in seeing the missile, it has two coloured flares at the rear. The pilot must control the missile visually and compensate for any deviation that may occur until reaching its target.

This guidance system has similar characteristics to the American Martin AGM-7 Bullpup missile.
Despite the training required to operate the missile and the aircraft at the same time, the guidance system is really simple and can be mounted on a wide variety of aircraft. It has been successfully used on the T-28 Trojan and the Aermacchi MB-326 of the Argentine Navy, and on the I.A. 58 Pucará of the Argentine Air Force. It can also be used from helicopters in hovering flight, for which a wire-guided version was developed.

After being withdrawn from service in the late 1990s, the missiles were transferred back to CITEFA to contribute to the development of the improved CITEFA AS-25K.