France Fires M51.3 Nuclear-Capable Missile From a Submarine for the First Time
The French Navy ballistic-missile submarine Le Vigilant launched an M51.3 without a nuclear warhead off Finistère, western France, on October 6, 2026, the first submarine firing of the missile's latest version, Defense News reported.
The French Navy nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine Le Vigilant, one of four Triomphant-class boats, fired an M51.3 ballistic missile off Finistère, in western France, on October 6, the first time the latest version of the missile has been launched from a submarine, Defense News reported. The missile carried no nuclear warhead and splashed down in the North Atlantic several hundred kilometers from any coastline, according to Defense News and Naval News.
Naval News described the launch as an acceptance firing, designated Operation SMERTRIOS, conducted after Le Vigilant completed its periodic maintenance and repair period, known in French service as an IPER. The firing confirmed the operational capability of the boat's weapon system, Naval News reported. The missile was tracked throughout its flight by the DGA's missile-testing directorate, DGA/EM, and by the test and measurement vessel Monge.
President Emmanuel Macron said the launch was "a very important moment for our strategic credibility," according to Defense News, which reported that he noted allies and competitors alike would scrutinize France's actions.
Defense News counted the launch as the seventh submarine firing of the M51 family and the 13th M51 launch overall, all of them conducted without nuclear warheads. The first M51 ground firing took place in 2006 and the first submarine launch in January 2010, from Le Terrible, a sister ship of Le Vigilant. The M51.3 entered operational service in October 2025; Naval News gives the date as October 24, 2025.
According to figures reported by Defense News, the M51.3 has a range of more than 9,500 kilometers, against more than 9,000 kilometers for the previous version. The missile weighs more than 50 metric tons, climbs above 2,000 kilometers before re-entering the atmosphere at Mach 20, and carries four to six independently targetable warheads of the TNO-2 oceanic type. Each French ballistic-missile submarine carries 16 of the missiles, Defense News reported. The M51 replaced the M45 in French service and belongs to the same class of weapon as the US and British Trident II D5.
GlobalMilitary.net's French Navy inventory lists the four Triomphant-class ballistic-missile submarines as active: Le Triomphant, Le Téméraire, Le Vigilant and Le Terrible. The force is based at Île Longue, near Brest. GlobalMilitary.net's nuclear section estimates France's total inventory at 370 warheads, 280 of them deployed; both figures are estimates.
The launch comes weeks after Finland joined France's forward nuclear deterrence initiative in September.
More News
All news →
First HACM Hypersonic Cruise Missile Flight Test Unit Released Over Australia
The U.S. Air Force says a Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile flight test unit was released by the Royal Australian Air Force over an Australian test range, without disclosing the date, the launch aircraft or whether the scramjet-powered weapon achieved powered flight.
Bréguet Alizé Turns 70: French Carrier Submarine Hunter Served From 1959 to 2000
The prototype of the Bréguet Br.1050 Alizé, the French Navy's carrier-based anti-submarine turboprop, first flew from Toulouse-Blagnac on 6 October 1956; 89 were built, and the type served France until September 2000 and India until 1991.
North Korea Says Hypersonic Missile Drill Hit Target 1,000 km Away; Seoul Tracked More Than 700 km
North Korea says a Saturday launch from the Wonsan area was a drill of its hypersonic strategic weapon system that struck a target 1,000 km away; South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff tracked a single ballistic missile flying more than 700 km into the East Sea.
Australia Retires Its Tigers, Leaving Three Operators Among the World's 3,623 Attack Helicopters
The Australian Army has retired its Tiger attack helicopters, marking the fleet's sundown in Darwin on 30 September and leaving France, Germany and Spain as the only users; GlobalMilitary.net data counts 3,623 active attack helicopters in 81 countries.
Ukraine Says Its FP-7 Ballistic Missile Has Been Used in Combat for the First Time
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 1, 2026 that Ukraine's domestically developed FP-7 tactical ballistic missile, built by Fire Point, had been used in combat for the first time, without disclosing the target or location; the claim has not been independently verified.
Russia Plans $202 Billion Defense Budget for 2027, Highest Since War Began, Budget Documents Show
Russia plans to spend 17.1 trillion roubles ($202.6 billion) on national defense in 2027, around 27% more than originally budgeted and the highest figure since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to government budget documents seen by Reuters on September 28.