France possesses approximately 300 nuclear warheads.[1] Its arsenal includes four Le Triomphant class submarines, stationed at Ile Longue in Bretagne. Each submarine can carry up to 16 M45 missiles, which can in turn be armed with six warheads each. [2] The M45 missiles are slowly being replaced with longer range M51 missiles. The M51 will be further modernised starting in 2015.[i] France also arms three squadrons of planes with air-to-surface missiles (ASMP) and has twenty Super Étendard fighter-bombers stationed on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.[3]
Ballistic Missiles
M51
Safran– propulsion system, inert components in rocket motors, navigation system
Airbus — prime contractor
Thales– main subcontractors
M45
Airbus (Defence and Space), previously through EADS’ subsidiary Astrium
M51.2 (to enter service in 2016),
Airbus
M51.3 (in development),
Airbus, development contract
Medium-range air-to-surface missile
ASMP
MBDA is a joint venture between Airbus, BAE Systems and Finmeccanica
MBDA also charged with the development of the ASMPA-successor ASN4G
[1] Assuring Destruction Forever, 2014. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Publications/modernization/france-2014.pdf, viewed 28 May 2014.
[2] Volkery, Carsten, ‘Deterrent Lite’: A Look at Britain’s and France’s Nuclear Arsenals, Der Spiegel, http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/deterrent-lite-a-look-at-britain-s-and-france-s-nuclear-arsenals-a-688504.html, viewed 24 July 2014.
[3] Volkery, Carsten, ‘Deterrent Lite’: A Look at Britain’s and France’s Nuclear Arsenals, Der Spiegel, http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/deterrent-lite-a-look-at-britain-s-and-france-s-nuclear-arsenals-a-688504.html, viewed 24 July 2014.
[i] Kristensen, Assuring Destruction Forever, 2014, http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Publications/modernization/france-2014.pdf