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Home» News»Video: France Successfully Tests an M51 Ballistic Missile

Video: France Successfully Tests an M51 Ballistic Missile

The French ministry of armed forces announced that the procurement agency DGA this morning successfully tested an M51 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

Xavier Vavasseur 28 Apr 2021

The SLBM wasn’t launched from a French Navy Le Triomphant-class submarine but from a land based facility: DGA Essais de Missiles in Biscarosse, the missile test site of the French armed forces located in South Western France.

The missile was followed throughout its flight phase by DGA Essais de Missiles. The fallout zone was located in the North Atlantic. This test was carried out without a military nuclear warhead and in strict compliance with France’s international commitments.

This test, carried out within the framework of the M51 programme, demonstrates once again the excellence of the high technology used by French industry in this field.



French ministry of the armed forces statement

As always, Navigational Warnings for the related hazard zones in the Atlantic were published a few days ahead, indicated that a French test was coming:

1/2
Navigational Warnings suggest that France will be test-firing an #ICBM from DGA Essais de Missiles near Biscarosse towards Bermuda between Apr 28-May 21.
Target area does not fit a simple ballistic trajectory@nukestrat @ArmsControlWonk @mhanham @planet4589 @wslafoy #missile pic.twitter.com/gkthc6tVwV

— Dr Marco Langbroek đź’‰ #Vaccinate (@Marco_Langbroek) April 25, 2021

In addition, the French Navy’s Monge Missile Range Instrumentation Ship (A601) was spotted in at the US Navy base in Norfolk earlier this month. The primary mission of this ship is missile test monitoring:

French Navy tracking ship FS Monge (A601) docked in Norfolk, Virginia – April 12, 2021 #a601 #fsmonge

* photo posted by @TradocDCG pic.twitter.com/ymBf6oYvSr

— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) April 12, 2021

Also noteworthy, a United States Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball was in the air during the missile test. The aircraft is a measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) collector equipped with special electro-optical instruments designed to observe ballistic missile flights at long range:

Weird USAF RC-135S Cobra Ball orbiting near #Bermuda probably related to French ballistic missile test. pic.twitter.com/uA67VcxB91

— Manu GĂłmez (@GDarkconrad) April 28, 2021

About M51 SLBM

M51 SLBM firing
File picture of M51 test. DGA picture.

The M51 is the new generation intercontinental SLBM which started replacing the M45 in 2010. Each missile carries six to ten independently targetable (MIRV or Multiple Independently targeted Reentry Vehicle) TN 75 thermonuclear warheads. TN 75 are being replaced with the new Tête nucléaire océanique (TNO or oceanic nuclear warhead) warheads since 2015. These new warheads are reported to be maneuverable (MARV or Maneuverable Re-entry Vehicle) in order to avoid potential ballistic defenses. The TNO has a yield that is estimated to be greater than or equal to the yield of the TN 75 warhead, 150 kilotons of TNT (kt) with a CEP (circular error probability) of 150 meters.

French Navy SSBN 'Le Téméraire' Test Fired M51 SLBM 1
An M51 SLBM was successfully test launched from French Navy SSBN Le Téméraire on June 12, 2020. ©Kevin Auger/Marine Nationale/Défense

The three-stage engine of the M51 is directly derived from the solid propellant boosters of the European Ariane 5 space rocket. Open source data indicates an M51 weight of 52,000 kg, a length of 12.0 m and a diameter of 2.3 m. M51 operational range is reported to be 8,000 to 10,000 km with a speed of Mach 25.

The first test launch of an M51 ballistic missile was successfully carried out at Centre d’essais de lancement de missiles (CELM) in Biscarosse, France, on November 9, 2006. The sixth missile test carried out on May 5, 2013, ended in failure. The latest M51 tests in September 2015, July 2016 and June 2020 were all successful.

Ballistic Missile DGA French Navy SLBM 2021-04-28
Tags Ballistic Missile DGA French Navy SLBM
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Authors

Posted by : Xavier Vavasseur
Xavier is based in Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Xavier has been covering naval defense topics for nearly a decade.

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