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Nuclear Forces·France

Nuclear weapons of France

An estimated 370 warheads, 280 of them deployed, delivered by air, sea forces.

Total inventory
370warheads
Military stockpile
2902026
Deployed
280
First test
1960
Delivery
Air Sea

Overview

France fields the world's fourth-largest arsenal: a military stockpile of about 290 warheads, some 280 of them deployed — the highest deployment ratio of any nuclear power. The force de frappe is fully independent: warheads, missiles and delivery platforms are designed and built nationally, and France does not participate in NATO's nuclear sharing arrangements or its Nuclear Planning Group.

The deterrent is a dyad. Four Triomphant-class submarines based at Île Longue maintain continuous at-sea deterrence with the M51 missile, while Rafale squadrons of the Strategic Air Forces carry the supersonic ASMP-A cruise missile. Both components are being renewed: the third-generation SNLE 3G submarines, the ASN4G hypersonic missile and an upgraded warhead are all in development.

France tested first at Reggane in the Algerian Sahara in February 1960 and last in the Pacific in 1996. It has since ratified the CTBT, irreversibly dismantled its Pacific test site and its fissile-material production plants, and retired the land-based leg it once operated on the plateau d'Albion. In 2025-2026 Paris opened a strategic dialogue with European partners on a European dimension for its deterrent, while stressing that the decision to employ it remains strictly national.

Paris is investing across the board: the SNLE 3G submarines and the ASN4G hypersonic missile are funded through the 2024-2030 military programming law, and in 2025 the government designated Luxeuil as a fourth strategic air base, to field the Rafale F5 with ASN4G by 2035 — the first expansion of the airborne component in decades. The strategic dialogue opened with Germany and other partners explores what a European dimension of the French deterrent could mean in practice; the decision to employ it remains, by doctrine, strictly national.

Delivery systems

Submarine-launched ballistic missile

M51

 Supersonic air-launched cruise missile

ASMP-A

 Ballistic missile submarine

Le Triomphant

 Dual-capable strike fighter

Rafale
Stockpile historyest. warheads
1964 — 4 warheads 1964 1965 — 32 warheads 1966 — 36 warheads 1967 — 36 warheads 1968 — 36 warheads 1969 — 36 warheads 1970 — 36 warheads 1971 — 45 warheads 1972 — 70 warheads 1972 1973 — 116 warheads 1974 — 145 warheads 1975 — 188 warheads 1976 — 212 warheads 1977 — 228 warheads 1978 — 235 warheads 1979 — 235 warheads 1980 — 250 warheads 1980 1981 — 274 warheads 1982 — 274 warheads 1983 — 279 warheads 1984 — 280 warheads 1985 — 360 warheads 1986 — 355 warheads 1987 — 420 warheads 1988 — 410 warheads 1988 1989 — 410 warheads 1990 — 505 warheads 1991 — 540 warheads 540 1992 — 540 warheads 1993 — 525 warheads 1994 — 510 warheads 1995 — 500 warheads 1996 — 450 warheads 1996 1997 — 450 warheads 1998 — 450 warheads 1999 — 450 warheads 2000 — 470 warheads 2001 — 350 warheads 2002 — 350 warheads 2003 — 350 warheads 2004 — 350 warheads 2004 2005 — 350 warheads 2006 — 350 warheads 2007 — 350 warheads 2008 — 300 warheads 2009 — 300 warheads 2010 — 300 warheads 2011 — 300 warheads 2012 — 300 warheads 2012 2013 — 300 warheads 2014 — 300 warheads 2015 — 300 warheads 2016 — 300 warheads 2017 — 300 warheads 2018 — 300 warheads 2019 — 300 warheads 2020 — 290 warheads 2020 2021 — 290 warheads 2022 — 290 warheads 2023 — 290 warheads 2024 — 290 warheads 2025 — 290 warheads 2026 — 290 warheads 290
Peak: 540 warheads in 1991. Federation of American Scientists estimates, processed by Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0).
Among the nineTotal inventory
Treaty status
Non-Proliferation TreatyNuclear-weapon state
Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)Ratified 1998
Prohibition Treaty (TPNW)Not party
All treaties
Related
Military forces of France Air force inventory Navy inventory Nuclear arsenals ranking World nuclear forces Blast simulator
Estimates: Federation of American Scientists, SIPRI Yearbook and other open sources. Last updated on 11 August 2026. Suggest a change

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nuclear weapons does France have?

France is estimated to hold 370 nuclear warheads in its total inventory, with about 280 of them deployed on operational forces. The figure is an estimate from the Federation of American Scientists — no current official count exists.

When did France first test a nuclear weapon?

France conducted its first nuclear test in 1960.

What delivery systems does France use?

The arsenal is delivered by air, sea vectors, including M51, ASMP-A, Le Triomphant, Rafale. Each system is documented in the equipment database linked on this page.

Is the arsenal of France growing?

See the stockpile history chart on this page: it tracks the estimated warhead count year by year since the first weapons were fielded, based on the FAS series published through Our World in Data.

Latest Data Updates
  1. AUG 112026 Updated Historical warhead stockpile series updated (63 yearly values)
  2. MAR 142026 Updated Nuclear overview updated
  3. FEB 272026 Updated Warhead inventory updated
  4. JAN 202026 Updated Nuclear overview updated