Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, has expressed his great satisfaction after the success on November 18, 2023 of the qualification firing of an M51.3 strategic ballistic missile without a nuclear charge.
This launch was carried out by the General Directorate of Armaments from the Landes site of DGA Missile Tests. This flight made it possible to validate an important evolution of the missile, which will contribute to perpetuate the credibility of our oceanic deterrent over the coming decades.
Sébastien Lecornu extends his warmest congratulations to all the women and men of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) and the industrial partners who worked for its success.
The missile was monitored throughout its flight phase by the test resources of the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA). The fallout zone is located in the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometers from any coast. This test was carried out without a nuclear charge and in strict compliance with France’s international commitments.
This launch, carried out as part of the M51 program, once again demonstrates the excellence of the high technology that French industries are implementing in this area.