Actually thats the way the Eryx missile fires:
[img]http://www.ifrance.com/aeronautiquemilitaire/images/Missiles/Eryx.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.haaland.info/norway/storm/bilder/eryx.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.mil.no/multimedia/archive/00000/har_eryx_726a.jpg[/img]
It was designed like that so the enemy wouldn't find the crew as easily