France test-fires new nuclear-capable missile from submarine for first time

Published on 06/10/2026 - 15:54 GMT+2

France has test-fired its new M51.3 nuclear-capable ballistic missile from a submarine for the first time, in a launch President Emmanuel Macron said proved the credibility of the country's nuclear deterrent.

The missile, which carried no warhead, was launched on Tuesday from the nuclear-powered submarine Le Vigilant off Brittany. It came down in the North Atlantic, hundreds of kilometres from any coastline, the defence ministry said.

Macron watched from the warship Auvergne and posted a video of the launch on X.

"To be free, one must be feared. And to be feared, one must be powerful," he wrote. "This technical success further demonstrates the credibility of our nuclear deterrent, whose long-term viability is assured."

The ministry said the test was carried out "in strict compliance with France's international commitments".

The launch comes after Macron warned of a shift in "Russian aggression and threats" against European countries following a series of hybrid attacks blamed on Moscow. In mid-September he vowed they would "not go unanswered".

France is the European Union's only nuclear-armed state, and Macron proposed this year that European partners join its "advanced" deterrence framework.