France tests upgraded nuclear missile against backdrop of Russia tensions
The unarmed firing validated Le Vigilant’s strategic weapons system after a three-year overhaul and marked the first submarine launch of the M51.3, officials said.
- On Tuesday, France test-fired its new M51.3 nuclear-capable ballistic missile from the submarine Vigilant off Brittany, with President Emmanuel Macron witnessing the launch from a warship.
- Amid rising European tensions, Macron warned of shifting "Russian aggression and threats" following a series of "hybrid" attacks that officials blamed on Moscow.
- The unarmed missile impacted "in the North Atlantic, hundreds of kilometres from any coastline," the Defence Ministry reported, noting the test complied with international commitments.
- Officials added that the test "once again demonstrates the excellence of the high-tech solutions employed by French industry in the field of nuclear deterrence."
- Macron proposed this year that European partners join the "advanced" nuclear deterrence framework of France, the European Union's sole nuclear weapons power, vowing actions would "not go unanswered.
104 Articles
104 Articles
France has launched an M51.3 intercontinental ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Le Vigilant. This is the first such launch in three years. The French newspaper Ouest-France reported on the preparations for the test. According to strategic weapons analyst Etienne Marcuse, the missile is expected to travel approximately 4,700 km during the flight. However, he stressed that this does not represent the maximum ra…
French submarine fires new nuclear weapon
France has fired its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile for the first time from Le Vigilant, with President Macron watching from the deck of a frigate. The post French submarine fires new nuclear weapon first appeared on UK Defence Journal.
According to the French Defense Ministry, the missile did not carry a nuclear warhead and landed in the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometers from the coast
French President Emmanuel McCrone supervised the pilot launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine off the west of the country, without a nuclear charge, and landed in the North Atlantic region.
France has conducted the first test of a new version of the M51.3 submarine-launched ballistic missile, underscoring the importance of its nuclear deterrent at a time of heightened tensions with Russia. The French Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that the missile was launched off the coast of Brittany, as part of an operation to certify the ability of the nuclear submarine Le Vigilant to use the weapon after an extensive maintenance and mod…
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