France’s M51 Ballistic Missile Self-Destructs, MoD Launched Investigation

France on Sunday unsuccessfully tested an M51submarine-launched ballistic missile that self-destructed off the coast of Brittany.

 “It was a failure, the reasons will be determined by an investigation,” said Lt. Commander Lionel Delort, a spokesman for the Atlantic Naval Prefecture.

He said the missile “self-destructed during its first propulsion phase...for an unknown reason.”

According to an official statement, the missile was test fired, without a nuclear warhead, from the Vigilant —a strategic nuclear submarine — from the Bay of Audierne at 0730 GMT and had been due to go down in the isolated north Atlantic.

The M51, which has a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles), was put into operation in 2010 following five successful test launches.

According to reports, France is estimated to have a stockpile of about 300 nuclear warheads, the majority of them designed for launching from its four Triomphant-class submarines. The remainders are designed for delivery from both land- and carrier-based aircraft.

This was France’s 6th flight test of the latest strategic ballistic missile.