The M45 SLBM was a French Navy

submarine-launched ballistic missile A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a nuclear warhead ...

(In French terminology, the MSBS - ''Mer-Sol-Ballistique-Stratégique'' (Sea-ground-Strategic ballistic missile).) Forty-eight M45 were in commission in the ''

Force océanique stratégique The Strategic Ocean Force (french: Force océanique stratégique, FOST) has been the synonym of the French Submarine Forces since 1999, which the commandant commands the ensemble related to, along with the squadron of nuclear attack submarine ...

'', the submarine nuclear deterrent component of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

. The missiles, derived from the M4, were produced by

Aérospatiale Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ( ...

(now

EADS SPACE Transportation Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 18 ...

). Initially, an

ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

land-based version was considered, but these plans were discarded in 1996 to favour an all-naval deployment. The M45 differs from its predecessor by its increased range (6,000 km vs. 4,000 km), its increased accuracy and penetration capabilities and its new TN-75 warheads. Each missile carries six

MIRV A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) is an exoatmospheric ballistic missile payload containing several warheads, each capable of being aimed to hit a different target. The concept is almost invariably associated with i ...

s, each armed with a thermonuclear warhead of 110 kt. The M45 has a reported accuracy of 350 m CEP using an

inertial missile guidance Missile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its ...

system coupled with computer payload control. It was succeeded by the

M51 SLBM The M51 SLBM is a French submarine-launched ballistic missile, built by ArianeGroup, and deployed with the French Navy. Designed to replace the M45 SLBM (In French terminology the MSBS – ''Mer-Sol-Balistique-Stratégique'' "Sea-ground-Strategic ...

. The Ministry of Defense had planned to replace the M45 model with the M51 model since 2004, but the last M45 was only removed from service in 2016. However, its successor, the M51 model, was formally introduced in 2010 and has since entered service. Throughout its service, only 64 out of the 192 missiles that were built are believed to have been used. snle-snle-ng-svg

Tests

In March 1986, a M-4 missile was launched and covered 6,000 km to its target; this flight is rumoured to have been the first test flight for the M-45. On the night of the 1–2 June 2004, the ''Vigilant'' fired a version of the M45 from the southern part of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

; the missile hit its target near

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...

Former Operators

; *

- Original primary armament for the ''Triomphant''-class SSBN. As of 2016, replaced by the

Sources and references

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Submarine-launched ballistic missiles of France Nuclear weapons of France 1996 establishments in France Military equipment introduced in the 1990s

Tests

Former Operators

See also

Sources and references