Before I attempt to describe the various missiles which we have developed, I feel it useful to give a brief review of the evolution with time of our technical group, of the position of this group in France and finally of the criteria which guided its choice of a working programme.

Our technical team was formed in 1946 at the Arsenal de 1'Aéronautique, a government establishment. Its staff, at that time, comprised some ten engineers and specialists. In 1953, the Arsenal de 1'Aéronautique was turned into a company, the SFECMAS, which eventually merged with Nord-Aviation in 1955. The growth in manpower and facilities of the Nord missile group went on steadily during that entire period. The present staff amounts to some 900 engineers and specialists, who are employed only in laboratories, design, research and test facilities. This does not include the production side, which is dispersed among four plants outside the Paris Area.