The successful launch validates the return of Le Vigilant to the active operational cycle after 3 years of maintenance. While France previously performed a qualification launch of the M51.3 in November 2023, that test was conducted from the Landes Test Center rather than from a deployed submarine.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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France Fires First Operational M51.3 Missile From Submarine
War15 days ago
The Ministry of Armed Forces launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the nuclear vessel Le Vigilant off the coast of Finistère at 9:09 AM on Oct 6. The missile, an M51.3 version fired without a nuclear warhead, impacted the Atlantic Ocean 4,700 km west of the launch zone. This event marks the first operational deployment of the updated missile variant from a submarine.
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