The ''Tête nucléaire océanique'' (
English: Oceanic nuclear warhead) or TNO is a French
thermonuclear warhead designed to equip the
M51 ballistic missiles on the
''Triomphant''-class submarines.
[ It has been in service since 2016, replacing the TN 75 warhead, originally designed for the M45, and which also equipped the ''M51'', pending the development and service entry of the ''TNO''.]
Nuclear materials
As with all thermonuclear warheads, the explosive materials comprise three main elements: uranium
Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
, plutonium
Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four ...
and tritium
Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of ~12.33 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the ...
, all of which are of military grade. The highly enriched uranium 235 was produced at COGEMA
Orano Cycle, formerly COGEMA (''Compagnie générale des matières nucléaires'') and Areva NC, is a French nuclear fuel company. It is the main subsidiary of Orano S.A. It is an industrial group active in all stages of the uranium fuel cycle, ...
's Pierrelatte plant and the highly enriched plutonium 239 at COGEMA's Marcoule plant. Both were produced before France definitively ceased uranium and plutonium production in 1997, the country having sufficient stocks for its present and future needs. Tritium is produced in the ''Célestin I and II'' reactors at CEA's Marcoule plant, which remains operational.
Yield
The TNO's yield (classified top secret) is, according to some sources, of the order of 100 kilotons of TNT (kt).French Polynesia
French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
and its design was ultimately validated by the French nuclear defense simulation program carried out using the Laser Mégajoule
Laser Mégajoule (LMJ) is a large laser-based inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research device near Bordeaux, France, built by the French nuclear science directorate, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA).
Laser Mégajoule plans to deliver ...
, TERA-100 supercomputer and the Airix X-ray generator
An X-ray machine is a device that uses X-rays for a variety of applications including medicine, X-ray fluorescence, electronic assembly inspection, and measurement of material thickness in manufacturing operations. In medical applications, X-ra ...
.
Since a French ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabi ...
is equipped 16 M51 missiles, each carrying at least 6 warheads, the theoretical potential of a minimum salvo of 96 TNO (9,600 kt) would be equivalent to 640 Hiroshima atomic bombs (which had a power of around 15 kt).
Reentry body
The TNO's reentry body, a conical outer shell with high-performance thermal protection, has been optimized for the M51 missile's performance, and in particular ensures atmospheric reentry on very long-range trajectories with the required precision. It also features advanced stealth characteristics.
Classification of related data
The information presented in this article can only be indicative because underlying data is classified by the French government.''Rapport d'information sur l'avenir des forces nucléaires françaises No. 668 du 12 juillet 2012''
(Information Report on the future of French nuclear forces, No. 668 of 12 July 2012)
See also
* ''
Force de frappe''
* ''
Force océanique stratégique
The Strategic Ocean Force () is one of two terms that describe the submarine component of the French Navy. Prior to 1999, FOST grouped ballistic missile submarines with a role in France's nuclear deterrent. Since 1999, they have been integrated ...
''
*
Nuclear tests by France
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tete nucleaire oceanique
Nuclear warheads of France
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles of France
Nuclear weapons program of France