France on Tuesday conducted the first successful launch of the latest-generation M51.3 ballistic missile from a submarine. The test took place off the coast of Brittany from the modernized submarine Le Vigilant; according to Reuters, citing the French Ministry of Defense, the missile is capable of traveling about 10,000 km and theoretically covering all of Russia, including the Far East.
The launch was non-nuclear and carried out as part of Operation Smertrios in strict compliance with international obligations, the French military said.
French President Emmanuel Macron watched the launch. After the launch, he said: “Today we have become stronger. This message was delivered clearly and unambiguously to everyone it was intended for”.
Last week, Vladimir Putin, commenting on a warning sent by the Russian Federation to NATO in the event of an attempt to blockade the Kaliningrad region, said Russia was ready to use “all available” weapons, including nuclear ones, in the event of any acts of aggression. He also said that France and the United Kingdom are nuclear powers, but no one has weapons of destruction like Russia does.
M51.3 was adopted into service in October 2025 and became the third major modification of the French submarine-launched ballistic missile family M51. According to the French side, such missiles can carry a multiple warhead with TNO-2 independently targetable warheads.
The development of the M51.3 is being carried out by ArianeGroup. The missile is considered a key element of France’s naval nuclear deterrence modernization program, and Paris spends about €5.6 billion a year to maintain an arsenal of 290 nuclear warheads, which is the fourth largest in the world after Russia, the United States, and Britain.
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