Continuing the cycle of publications on the nuclear arsenals of the nuclear powers of the second or third echelon, we certainly cannot pass by "beautiful" France. Nevertheless, this state acquired nuclear weapons the fourth in a row, in 1960 (thermonuclear weapons - in 1968, then they even let the Chinese ahead), and it was the third who did it on their own, without relying on someone else's "baggage", as British. Well, almost without support - after all, the French nuclear program was headed by Bertrand Goldschmidt, who worked with Maria Sklodowska-Curie and participated in the Manhattan project. In addition, in the 1970s, the Americans consulted their French colleagues with "negative consultations" on a number of issues related to the development of ammunition. In order not to violate the laws, the French shared their results with the Americans, and if they moved to a dead end, the Americans did not explain anything to them, they simply answered “no,” and if everything was correct, they kept silent.
And, I must say that, unlike the same British, whose nuclear missile arsenal slipped into their warheads in the warheads of foreign SLBMs, which do not even belong to them, but are only rented, the French have retained their "originality" and reliance on their forces. Both their nuclear weapons and peaceful atomic complexes, especially technologically, are even in better condition than that of the "most exclusive power" on the globe. In any case, they did not lose critical technologies, as in the United States. Although the French nuclear weapons in themselves, in general, are not a standard, they have gone far from the crafts of various new nuclear countries (India, Pakistan, North Korea). Yet the number of tests (210) plays a role - the more explosions, the more data for the development of more advanced ammunition without them. No wonder France did not agree for a long time either to stop testing in three environments, or to stop testing altogether - they blew up until 1995, and joined the CTBT only in 1998.
The French at one time, until the mid-90s, had a kind of nuclear "triad", which consisted of nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles, SSBNs (their number then reached 6), medium bombers "Mirage-4" and tactical aviation with nuclear capabilities in the form of AN-22 and AN-52 aerial bombs and short-range aeroballistic missiles ASMP and a ground component in the form of 18 silo-based S-3D MRBMs on the Albion plateau and the Pluto OTRK, which were planned to be replaced with a new type of Hades. But the "wind of change" blew away the long-obsolete MRBMs, tactical aerial bombs, reduced the number of SSBNs, and the "Hades" OTRK (by the way, a very advanced and successful system turned out, in some aspects - something similar to the Volga, the ancestor "Iskander").
At the moment, the nuclear forces of the 5th Republic consist of two "legs" of different lengths. These are 4 Triomfan-class SSBNs, each of which has 16 silo launchers, and Rafal tactical light nuclear attack aircraft with aeroballistic missile launchers of the new ASMP-A modification. Of the 4 SSBNs, one is always under repair, and one is undergoing post-voyage repairs or pre-voyages, so the French did not even begin to produce missiles for 4 missile carriers, which are only available for arming 3 SSBNs, that is, 48 pieces, plus an extremely small stock for training launches and exchange fund. In combat service, lasting up to 70 days, 1 SSBN is constantly located, in fact, this is the potential for a retaliatory strike for France and is exhausted (if at least one more SSBN cannot be put into the sea during the crisis period, of course). Only the reciprocal use of this arsenal is assumed, and for reliable communication with the boats a super-long-wave radio communication center has been built, there are also aviation repeaters, although the French are very far from the sophisticated and immensely developed systems of combat control of the strategic nuclear forces of Russia or the United States. But not Pakistan either.
These missile carriers go to combat service in the Bay of Biscay, they patrol there, and the British SSBN usually goes there, which even led to a serious clash between them - somehow they managed to meet two loneliness and get into a fairly long repair. After that episode, countries suffering from budget cuts even discussed the issue of patrolling in turn, they say, you can still save money and not have to fear new accidents. But national pride leaped up, and the only thing that was agreed in the end was the joint defense of the SSBN patrol area by the fleets, they say, less forces could be used. All SSBNs are based in one base near Brest, where there are 2 dry docks, a protected storage of warheads and a storage of SLBMs, where up to 24 missiles can be stored (in an upright position, this is not a hidden launcher, these are the features of storing French missiles).
One of the test launches of the M51 SLBM from the ground stand
"Triomfany" from the end of 2016 no longer carry SLBMs of the previous modification M45 (improved SLBM M4 developed in the late 80s). All are equipped with M51 SLBMs, which entered service in 2010. This is a stripped-down version of the much more ambitious M5 project, which was supposed to be a missile with a range from 10 to 14 thousand km at first with varying loads and capable of carrying up to 10 BB. But I had to become more modest, and the M51 with a mass of 52-56 tons carries no more than 6 BB at a distance of 6-8 thousand km. The rocket is solid-propellant, three-stage, with a liquid stage of BB breeding. There are two modifications of SLBMs - M51.1 (so far for 2 SSBNs) and M51.2 (for 1 SSBN). The first is equipped with old TN75 BBs with a capacity of 100 kt and carries a complex of means of overcoming the missile defense system, probably of a rather primitive level. The second carries new BB TNO with adjustable power from 30 to 150 kt (previously it was believed that the power is up to 300 kt) and a more advanced KSP missile defense system, has increased accuracy, and, probably, increased range - estimates differ from 8 to 9 thousand km. But there were no launches at a distance of more than 6 thousand km, so all the stories of the French about a range of 10 or even 12 thousand km with one BB, or about 8-9 with 6 BB, follow the same sheet as the stories of fishermen about "here such a fish that fell off "- without launching to the maximum range, any missile is not considered capable of flying at this very range, and with all experience the probability of an unpleasant outcome with such a launch, if it was not there during the tests, is very high. About a flat trajectory, a greatly reduced active section and other capabilities of domestic SLBMs, nothing is reported in relation to the M51, in terms of the energy and mass perfection of the product, of course, it is far from the 40-ton R-29RMU2.1 Sineva (equipped with the Liner) or to "Bulava", but, in general, it is a very worthy product, made at a good technological level. True, the design tried to save money where possible, for example, using the technology of solid-propellant boosters for space rockets such as "Ariane". In total, 7 launches of this rocket were carried out, of which 1, in 2013, was unsuccessful, the rest were declared successful. 4 launches were carried out from SSBNs, 3 were successful.
Usually "Triomfans" patrol with an incomplete set of BB on missiles, it is considered that there are 4 of them, and on some missiles and 1 BB, obviously for "warning" strikes, or for firing at long ranges. It is obvious, however, that a "warning" strike of an SLBM will cause a completely unpreventive volley, because no one will be interested in how many warheads are flying there on a strategic-level missile - they will answer "from the heart." But this misconception, unfortunately, has taken root in the West, and now the Americans are also sick with it, with their program of vivisection of W76-1 100kt warheads in W-76-2 6.5kt. The total number of charges for the M51 SLBM, taking into account the stock and exchange fund, can be estimated at 240 pieces of TN-75 and TNO (it is assumed that TN-75 will be converted into TNO in 4 years). The development of the third modification of the M51.3 SLBM is underway, expected by 2025, with a new third stage, which has an increased range and accuracy.
The second leg of French nuclear deterrence is aviation. After writing off in mid-2018. the last two-seat nuclear attack aircraft Mirage-2000N, all nuclear deterrence functions from the air have been transferred to the two-seat Rafali. Two squadrons of the Air Force, EC 1/4 Gascony and EC 2/4 Lafayette, based at Saint-Dizier airbase, 140km east of Paris. Before the Mirages were decommissioned, they were also based at the Istres airbase, but now all the eggs are in one basket. Although the storage of nuclear ammunition has been preserved in Istra, and at another airbase, where nuclear-purpose Mirages used to sit. In these two squadrons there are up to 40 "Rafal" modifications BF3, equipped now with aeroballistic supersonic missile system ASMP-A, weighing up to 900 kg and having a flight range of up to 500 km (with a high-altitude flight profile, with a combined flight, it will be less, with a low-altitude - several times less), and carrying a special warhead TNA with a capacity of up to 300 kt. It has been released since 2009 in total. 54 of these missiles, including those used in tests, now there are only 50 left.
"Rafale" BF3 with ASMP-A missile
Together with the flight range of the Rafale with air refueling, it is possible to deliver nuclear strikes several thousand kilometers from home, which is quite enough for the French. In addition to the land-based Raphales, 10 double Rafale MF3s from the 11F Squadron of the Navy are also capable of carrying this missile from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. This ship also has a storage for "items", which, however, have never yet come on board. And training on nuclear use from its side is extremely rare - only one is known, last year. But the very possibility makes Charles the only NATO naval surface ship capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons (American ships, including aircraft carriers, have long been deprived of this capability). Unlike the ships of our fleet, where there are enough non-strategic nuclear carriers.
Deck "Rafale" MF3 with SD ASMP-A
Previously, in the French Navy, the nuclear function could be carried out by the well-known (successful participation in the Anglo-Argentine war) deck-based subsonic attack aircraft "Super-Etandar", but in 2016 the last of them were written off.
The ASMP-A missile is considered a "pre-strategic" weapon, according to French views, and can be used as a "warning weapon" before a salvo of SLBMs with SSBNs. In total, if we sum up the charges for the M51 SLBM and the ASMP-A missile launcher, we get a total figure of 290, according to other sources - slightly less than 300 nuclear warheads. This is France's nuclear arsenal. This makes the 5th Republic the owner of at least the fourth nuclear arsenal, and if we take the lower estimates of the Chinese arsenal of 280 charges as true, then the third. Obviously, this is more than enough for them: over the past decades, the arsenal has been gradually decreasing, but this figure is likely to remain for a long time.
