France successfully tests 6,000-mile range ballistic missile

France successfully test-fired the M51.3 strategic ballistic missile on Saturday night, Nov. 18, according to the French Ministry of Defense. The test marks a significant advancement in bolstering the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

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The M51.3 is the latest iteration of the M51 missile family, enhancing its characteristics with an improved third stage.

Fired from the French army’s Biscarrosse missile testing site in southwest France, the missile, which did not carry a nuclear weapon, traveled over the North Atlantic before splashing down in a remote sea area hundreds of miles from any coast.

Developed by the ArianeGroup since 2010, the M51 missile family aims to replace France’s aging M45 missile. The M51.3, in development since 2014, incorporates various enhancements, with the goal of increasing its maximum range and enabling penetration of anti-missile defenses. The modified missile has a range of 6,000 miles.

France’s nuclear deterrent currently consists of 290 fusion warheads.

“This development perpetuates the credibility of our nuclear deterrence and demonstrates the excellence of our launcher sector,” said Sébastien Lecornu, France’s Minister of the Armed Forces