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France test-fires M51.3 ballistic missile from nuclear submarine, DGA says
Коротко
France carried out the first launch of its M51.3 strategic ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine, according to the country's defence procurement agency DGA. The missile was fired without a nuclear warhead from the submarine Le Vigilant off the coast of the Finistère department and its flight was tracked toward an impact zone in the North Atlantic. The test was intended to confirm the submarine could operate the missile after scheduled repairs.
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France carried out the first launch of the M51.3 strategic ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine, RBC and Vedomosti reported, with RBC attributing the announcement to the French defence ministry. Vedomosti said the missile was fired from the submarine Le Vigilant off the coast of the Finistère department. RIA Novosti also reported the test in a headline item. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The launch was conducted without a nuclear warhead, according to France's defence procurement agency DGA, as cited by Vedomosti. The agency tracked the missile's flight with its own assets, including the test ship Monge, and the impact zone was in the North Atlantic several hundred kilometres from the coast. The test was intended to confirm the submarine's ability to employ the M51.3 after scheduled repairs and technical maintenance. [ 3 ]
The M51.3 entered service on 24 October 2025 and is the third version of the M51 sea-based strategic ballistic missile. According to the French military department, it exceeds earlier versions in range, accuracy and the ability to penetrate missile defences. In November 2023 France reported a successful test of the M51.3 without a nuclear warhead, launched from the Biscarrosse missile test centre. [ 3 ]
On 2 March 2026, President Emmanuel Macron announced an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in the French arsenal. He also said Paris would no longer disclose data on the size of its nuclear arsenal. [ 3 ]
Почему это важно
The launch is the first sea firing of the M51.3, the third version of France's submarine-launched strategic missile, and the French military says it improves range, accuracy and penetration of missile defences. It follows a March 2026 decision by President Emmanuel Macron to increase the number of warheads in the French arsenal and to stop publishing data on its size, a shift in how France communicates about its nuclear deterrent. For readers outside France, the test is a marker of the continued modernisation of a European nuclear arsenal.
Ключевые факты
- France conducted the first launch of the M51.3 strategic ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The missile was launched without a nuclear warhead, according to France's defence procurement agency DGA. [ 3 ]
- The launch took place off the coast of the Finistère department from the submarine Le Vigilant. [ 3 ]
- DGA assets, including the test ship Monge, tracked the flight; the impact zone was in the North Atlantic several hundred kilometres off the coast. [ 3 ]
- The test was meant to confirm the submarine's ability to employ the M51.3 after scheduled repairs and maintenance. [ 3 ]
- M51.3 entered service on 24 October 2025; it is the third version of the M51 sea-based strategic missile. [ 3 ]
- France previously reported a successful test of the M51.3 without a nuclear warhead in November 2023, launched from the Biscarrosse missile test centre. [ 3 ]
- On 2 March 2026, President Emmanuel Macron announced an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in France's arsenal and said Paris would no longer disclose data on its size. [ 3 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
Пока неясно
- The documents do not give the date or time at which the launch itself took place, only the times at which the outlets published. Only publication times appear in the source documents; the timing of the test is not stated.
- The exact location of the launch and of the impact zone is described only approximately, as off the coast of the Finistère department and in the North Atlantic several hundred kilometres from the coast. Single-source detail from Vedomosti, with no precise coordinates given.
- It is not stated whether the M51.3 has been fired from a submarine before, beyond the November 2023 test from a land test centre. RBC and Vedomosti call this the first launch from a submarine, but the documents do not spell out the full test history of the missile.
- The test was conducted without a nuclear charge, as stated by France's defence procurement agency DGA. Reported by a single source so far
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- RIA Novosti reports that France has conducted a test of the M51.3 strategic ballistic missile. [ 1 ]
- RBC reports, citing the French defence ministry, that France has carried out the first launch of the new ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine. [ 2 ]
- Vedomosti reports the test in detail, including the submarine Le Vigilant, the absence of a nuclear charge and the DGA's tracking of the flight. [ 3 ]