France Successfully Launches Nuclear-Capable M5 Ballistic Missile From Submarine For First Time
Paris, France: France has successfully launched the unarmed, nuclear-capable M51.3 ballistic missile from the Le Vigilant submarine off Brittany’s Finistère coast.
The test validated the vessel’s strategic systems after three years of maintenance and marked the first operational submarine firing of this upgraded M51 variant.
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The missile splashed down hundreds of kilometers from shore as part of routine updates to France’s sea-based nuclear deterrent. The missile is enhanced for greater range, precision, and defense penetration.
President Emmanuel Macron attended the test of a new nuclear missile, fired without a warhead from a submarine. In a social media post, the president said he witnessed the first firing of the new M51.3 ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Le Vigilant., adding that very few nation possess such expertise.
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He congratulated all the players in this exceptional achievement: DGA, CEA, Ariane Group, Naval Group, and the French Navy. “This technical success is a new demonstration of the credibility of our deterrence, whose sustainability is assured. To be free, one must be feared. And to be feared, one must be powerful. To protect the French in the long term against threats, I launched the renewal of our capabilities for the decades to come as early as 2017. In ten years, the budget for our armed forces will have doubled,” the president said.
