SNEB
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | 68mm SNEB rocket pods (Telson 12 JF, Telson 12, Telson 22, Telson 8, Telson 2) |
| Parent | Thales Group |
The SNEB rocket (Societe Nouvelle des Etablissements Edgar Brandt) is an unguided rocket intended for air-to-surface deployment by attack aircraft and helicopter platforms. Produced by the French manufacturer TDA Armements, it is frequently launched from pods developed by Matra, commonly identified as the SNEB rocket pod or Matra rocket.
There are also additional versions available in and calibers. The 37mm variant, an early post-World War II folding fin rocket, was primarily designed for air-to-air engagements but has since been phased out. The 100mm model remains operational within the French Air Force and a number of other militaries. Several nations hold licenses to manufacture the 68 mm SNEB locally. In France, all SNEB-related activities have been centralized under Thomson-Brandt.
Warheads
SNEB rockets come equipped with a variety of warhead options to suit different operational requirements:
- High explosive (HE)
- High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge
- Multi-purpose fragmentation
- Flechette anti-personnel and material
- Smoke
- Illuminating
- Training munitions
Laser guidance development
The Systeme de Roquette A Corrections de Trajectoire (SYROCOT) project incorporates a laser-guided seeker compatible with existing SNEB rockets, offering capabilities similar to the American Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System program.
Rocket launchers, pods
The French defense company Matra developed three distinct launcher models for the 68 mm SNEB rockets:
- Matra Type 116M – A lightweight, disposable pod featuring a frangible nose cone, loaded with 19 rockets that fire in a rippled salvo lasting 0.5 seconds at intervals of 33 milliseconds. The pod automatically jettisons after completing its firing sequence.
- Matra Type 155 – A reusable metal launcher widely produced, characterized by a fluted nose cone and capacity for 18 rockets. It supports preprogrammed firing modes, including individual shots or ripple salvos similar to the Type 116M.
- Matra JL-100 drop tank rocket pack – This system integrates a drop tank with a 19-rocket launcher into an aerodynamic pod that can be mounted on either over-wing or under-wing hardpoints. It has seen notable use on the Royal Saudi Air Force's English Electric Lightning F.53 aircraft.
TDA Armements SAS, a subsidiary of the Thales Group, manufactures several 68mm SNEB rocket pods: the 12-tube Telson 12 JF designed for fighter aircraft; the 12-tube Telson 12 and 22-tube Telson 22 models for the Eurocopter Tiger helicopter; the 8-tube Telson 8 for light helicopters; and the compact 2-tube Telson 2 tailored for unmanned aerial vehicles and light counter-insurgency aircraft.
In the United Kingdom, Thomas French & Sons produced licensed versions of Matra’s Type 155 launchers for SNEB rockets. These launchers were subsequently modified by the Royal Navy to accommodate their post-war 2-inch RP rockets, which replaced SNEB due to concerns about electrical firing systems being inadvertently activated by shipborne radar systems.
See also
- Hydra 70, American counterpart
- CRV7, Canadian counterpart
- Forges de Zeebrugge, Belgian counterpart