Paris (Voice of Russia): French President Emmanuel Macron has witnessed the first test launch of France’s new M51.3 ballistic missile, fired from the nuclear-powered submarine Le Vigilant off the coast of Brittany.<\/p>\n
The missile, which carried no nuclear warhead, was launched on Tuesday and landed in a predefined area of the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometers from the coast, the French Defense Ministry said.<\/p>\n
Macron observed the launch from the multi-mission frigate Auvergne. “To be free, one must be feared. And to be feared, one must be powerful,” he wrote on X, calling the test a demonstration of the credibility of France’s nuclear deterrent.<\/p>\n
The launch was a certification test following Le Vigilant’s extensive maintenance overhaul from 2023 to 2025. The M51.3 is the third version of France’s sea-to-land strategic ballistic missile, offering greater range, accuracy, and the ability to overcome missile defenses.<\/p>\n
The test comes amid heightened tensions with Russia. Macron has warned of a shift in the nature of “Russian aggression and threats” against European nations and vowed that recent “hybrid” attacks blamed on Moscow would “not go unanswered.”<\/p>\n
France is the European Union’s sole nuclear weapons power. Earlier this year, Macron proposed that European partners join France’s “advanced” nuclear deterrence framework.<\/p>\n
Source: RT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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