The McDonnell Aircraft XAUM-N-6 Puffin anti-ship missile began as Kingfisher F in February 1947, and was redesignated Puffin in early 1948. The prototypes were tested in 1948-49 before the program was halted in October 1949.

The XAUM-N-6 was a pulsejet-powered lightweight homing torpedo featuring a radar seeker in an airframe with straight wings and a V-type tailplane.

Following a medium-altitude launch from an attack plane, the Puffin would swoop down to 200 feet (60 meters) and home on the sea surface target using an internal active radar homing guidance system.

The torpedo would drop into the water near the target for its terminal run on the ship.