France says successfully tests ballistic missile

The French defence ministry said the launch took place from a site in the Landes region in southwestern France.

The missile was tracked throughout its flight phase and the fallout area was located in the North Atlantic several hundred kilometres from any coast, the ministry added in a statement.

“First successful test firing of an M51.3 strategic ballistic missile!” Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Premier tir d’essai réussi du missile balistique stratégique M51.3 !

Cette évolution pérennise la crédibilité de notre dissuasion nucléaire et démontre l’excellence de notre filière lanceur.

Merci à @DGA, @CEA_Officiel, @ArianeGroup et à tous les acteurs de de ce tir réussi. pic.twitter.com/Rwrgn6FEXq

— Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) November 18, 2023

“This development confirms the credibility of our nuclear deterrent and demonstrates the excellence of our launch sector,” he said.