16:25

France has successfully test-fired its new M51.3 nuclear-capable ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Atlantic Ocean, the French Defence Ministry said.

Axar.az reports, citing Le Monde, that the missile was launched on Tuesday from the submarine Le Vigilant off the coast of Brittany without a nuclear warhead and landed in the North Atlantic, hundreds of kilometers from any coastline.

French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the launch aboard the French warship Auvergne and said the test demonstrated the credibility of France’s nuclear deterrent.

“To be free, one must be feared. And to be feared, one must be powerful,” Macron wrote on X, adding that the test demonstrated the long-term viability of France’s nuclear deterrent.

The Defence Ministry said the launch was conducted in strict compliance with France’s international commitments and highlighted the technological capabilities of French industry in nuclear deterrence.