The French military successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) M51.3 from a land-based test facility, according to a statement issued by the defense ministry.
The inaugural launch of the M51.3 SLBM was carried out from the French General Directorate of Armaments’s testing site in Biscarrosse in southwest France on November 18, 2023.
The missile was propelled into the North Atlantic and landed “hundreds of kilometers from any coastline,” the defense ministry said in a statement on Sunday, without sharing further details. The missile did not carry a nuclear weapon and was tracked throughout its flight phase by radars and by the missile range instrumentation ship Monge (A601).
“The flight has allowed to confirm a major improvement of the missile which will contribute to the lasting credibility of France’s oceanic deterrence in coming decades,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Maintaining the operational credibility of France’s nuclear arsenal is necessary considering the current international environment, the statement added, hinting at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since launching an attack on Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin has frequently warned the West that Moscow would not refrain from using nuclear weapons to defend Russia.
M51.3 missile
The M51.3 missile is an upgraded version of the M51, a sea-land strategic ballistic missile designed for deployment on the nuclear submarines of the French Navy. The missile has been developed by aerospace firm ArianeGroup, a joint venture between French defense group Safran and Airbus.
The M51.3 missiles, the development of which started in 2014, is expected to be delivered to FOST (Force Océanique Stratégique) around 2025.
Compared to its predecessors M51, the M51.3 features an enhanced third stage, specifically designed to increase its operational range by several hundred kilometers. This enhancement enables the missile to effectively counter future ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems, ensuring its strategic relevance and potency. Discussions are reportedly already underway about the development of an M51.4.
What are ballistic missiles?
Ballistic missiles are high-speed, long-range weapons propelled by rocket engines. Unlike cruise missiles that maintain a low altitude and follow a level trajectory, ballistic missiles reach space or near-space levels during their flight. They initially follow a powered trajectory, ascending and then descending back to Earth, following an arched or elliptical path. This descent is known as re-entry and can occur at supersonic speeds, making these missiles extremely difficult to intercept.
The missiles are categorized by their range, with short-range ballistic missiles traveling up to 1,000 kilometers, medium-range up to 3,000–5,500 kilometers, and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of traveling over 5,500 kilometers. Ballistic missiles are capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, making them potent and versatile weapons in modern warfare.