France has test-fired its newest submarine-launched nuclear missile for the first time. The M51.3 flew from the ballistic missile submarine Le Vigilant on Oct. 6.

President Emmanuel Macron watched the launch from the frigate Auvergne off Brittany. The missile carried no nuclear warhead. It landed in the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometres from any coast, the armed forces ministry said.

The test certified Le Vigilant after a long maintenance and modernisation overhaul. France routinely fires a missile after such refits. Le Terrible did the same in April 2023.

The M51.3 is the third version of the M51, a three-stage, solid-fuel missile built by ArianeGroup. It weighs more than 50 tonnes and is about 12 metres long. Public estimates put its range at around 9,000 km or more. It carries a new TNO-2 warhead design with better accuracy and the ability to defeat missile defences, the ministry said.

Macron called the test a demonstration of the credibility of French deterrence. France is also building new ballistic missile submarines and planning a hypersonic nuclear cruise missile for the Rafale jet.

The launch signals that France’s nuclear modernisation is on track.