170:
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.
360:
131:(kt). The load used is said to be "robust": less optimized than the TN 75 (which has an estimated yield of 110 kt) but with improved reliability and service life. Its technology benefited from the final nuclear test campaign carried out in 1995-1996 at
369:
68:
110:
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
161:
is equipped 16 M51 missiles, each carrying at least 6 warheads, the theoretical potential of a salvo of 96 TNO (9,600 kt) would be equivalent to 640 Hiroshima atomic bombs (which had a power of around 15 kt).
753:
484:
758:
725:
477:
41:
748:
715:
333:
312:
720:
418:
196:
470:
179:
The information presented in this article can only be indicative because underlying data is classified by the French government.
689:
308:
158:
45:
583:
578:
139:
and its design was ultimately validated by the French nuclear defense simulation program carried out using the
278:
96:
710:
202:
669:
34:
493:
140:
629:
451:
Rapport d'information sur l'avenir des forces nucléaires françaises No. 668 du 12 juillet 2012
568:
251:
136:
26:
449:
229:
189:
151:
83:
As with all thermonuclear warheads, the explosive materials comprise three main elements:
425:
128:
742:
552:
542:
517:
107:
53:
38:
454:(Information Report on the future of French nuclear forces, No. 668 of 12 July 2012)
395:
547:
537:
532:
527:
512:
507:
225:
99:
614:
609:
604:
124:
396:"Projet de loi de finances pour 2011 : Défense - Equipement des forces"
88:
286:
Assuring
Destruction Forever: Nuclear Weapon Modernization Around the World
75:, TNO warheads are an integral part of France's nuclear deterrent program.
462:
573:
144:
522:
368:. British American Security Information Council (BASIC). Archived from
132:
92:
84:
103:
362:
Beyond the United
Kingdom: Trends in the Other Nuclear Armed States
334:"Deterrence: F. Hollande details his vision and the French arsenal"
684:
679:
674:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
624:
619:
588:
49:
466:
115:
reactors at CEA's
Marcoule plant, which remains operational.
127:) is, according to some sources, of the order of 100
288:. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
703:
597:
561:
500:
60:, pending the development and service entry of the
48:. It has been in service since 2016, replacing the
394:Pintat, Xavier; Daniel Reiner (18 November 2010).
340:(in French). www.meretmarine.com. 20 February 2015
754:Submarine-launched ballistic missiles of France
252:"Le Terrible a tiré avec succès un M-51 !"
478:
106:'s Pierrelatte plant and the highly enriched
8:
226:"L'avenir des forces nucléaires françaises"
485:
471:
463:
95:, all of which are of military grade. The
309:"Nuclear weapons: The modernization myth"
419:"Dossier de presse - Le Laser Mégajoule"
219:
217:
213:
726:France and weapons of mass destruction
7:
424:(in French). CEA/DAM. Archived from
73:Military Applications Division (DAM)
250:Pillet, Nicolas (28 January 2010).
307:Reif, Kingston (8 December 2009).
14:
759:Nuclear weapons program of France
313:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
16:French thermonuclear bomb warhead
417:Volant, Emmanuelle (July 2012).
224:Boulaud, Didier (12 July 2012).
175:Classification of related data
56:, and which also equipped the
52:, originally designed for the
29:: Oceanic nuclear warhead) or
1:
359:Kearns, Ian (November 2011).
67:Designed and produced by the
398:(in French). Sénat de France
123:The TNO's yield (classified
197:Force océanique stratégique
159:ballistic missile submarine
46:Triomphant-class submarines
775:
749:Nuclear warheads of France
711:French nuclear deterrence
22:Tête nucléaire océanique
494:French nuclear armament
203:Nuclear tests by France
562:Pre-strategic missiles
147:supercomputer and the
37:designed to equip the
35:thermonuclear warhead
375:on 29 November 2014
501:Strategic missiles
277:Kristensen, Hans.
42:ballistic missiles
734:
733:
113:Célestin I and II
79:Nuclear materials
766:
704:Related subjects
598:Nuclear warheads
487:
480:
473:
464:
458:
457:
447:
441:
440:
438:
436:
430:
423:
414:
408:
407:
405:
403:
391:
385:
384:
382:
380:
374:
367:
356:
350:
349:
347:
345:
330:
324:
323:
321:
319:
304:
298:
297:
295:
293:
283:
274:
268:
267:
265:
263:
247:
241:
240:
238:
236:
221:
137:French Polynesia
102:was produced at
774:
773:
769:
768:
767:
765:
764:
763:
739:
738:
735:
730:
699:
593:
557:
496:
491:
461:
455:
448:
444:
434:
432:
431:on 10 June 2013
428:
421:
416:
415:
411:
401:
399:
393:
392:
388:
378:
376:
372:
365:
358:
357:
353:
343:
341:
332:
331:
327:
317:
315:
306:
305:
301:
291:
289:
281:
276:
275:
271:
261:
259:
249:
248:
244:
234:
232:
230:Sénat de France
223:
222:
215:
211:
190:Force de frappe
185:
177:
168:
157:Since a French
152:X-ray generator
141:Laser Mégajoule
129:kilotons of TNT
121:
97:highly enriched
81:
17:
12:
11:
5:
772:
770:
762:
761:
756:
751:
741:
740:
732:
731:
729:
728:
723:
718:
713:
707:
705:
701:
700:
698:
697:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
617:
612:
607:
601:
599:
595:
594:
592:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
565:
563:
559:
558:
556:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
504:
502:
498:
497:
492:
490:
489:
482:
475:
467:
460:
459:
442:
409:
386:
351:
325:
299:
269:
242:
212:
210:
207:
206:
205:
200:
193:
184:
181:
176:
173:
167:
164:
120:
117:
80:
77:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
771:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
746:
744:
737:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
708:
706:
702:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
611:
608:
606:
603:
602:
600:
596:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
566:
564:
560:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
505:
503:
499:
495:
488:
483:
481:
476:
474:
469:
468:
465:
453:
452:
446:
443:
427:
420:
413:
410:
397:
390:
387:
371:
364:
363:
355:
352:
339:
338:Mer et Marine
335:
329:
326:
314:
310:
303:
300:
287:
280:
273:
270:
257:
253:
246:
243:
231:
228:(in French).
227:
220:
218:
214:
208:
204:
201:
199:
198:
194:
192:
191:
187:
186:
182:
180:
174:
172:
165:
163:
160:
155:
153:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
118:
116:
114:
109:
108:plutonium 239
105:
101:
98:
94:
90:
86:
78:
76:
74:
70:
65:
63:
59:
55:
51:
50:TN 75 warhead
47:
43:
40:
36:
32:
28:
24:
23:
736:
694:
450:
445:
433:. Retrieved
426:the original
412:
400:. Retrieved
389:
377:. Retrieved
370:the original
361:
354:
342:. Retrieved
337:
328:
316:. Retrieved
302:
290:. Retrieved
285:
272:
260:. Retrieved
255:
245:
233:. Retrieved
195:
188:
178:
169:
166:Reentry body
156:
148:
122:
112:
82:
72:
66:
61:
57:
33:is a French
30:
21:
20:
18:
553:missile M51
543:missile M45
523:missile S1
518:missile M20
456:(in French)
258:(in French)
100:uranium 235
743:Categories
615:AN-52 bomb
610:AN-22 bomb
605:AN-11 bomb
548:missile M5
538:missile M4
533:missile S3
528:missile S2
513:missile M2
508:missile M1
344:13 October
262:6 November
209:References
125:top secret
640:AN 52 CTC
635:AN 51 CTC
630:MR 50 CTC
256:Eurospace
89:plutonium
435:11 April
402:11 April
379:11 April
318:11 April
292:11 April
279:"France"
235:11 April
183:See also
145:TERA-100
584:ASMP-A
133:Moruroa
93:tritium
85:uranium
44:on the
27:English
569:Pluton
104:COGEMA
685:TN 90
680:TN 81
675:TN 80
670:TN 76
665:TN 75
660:TN 71
655:TN 70
650:TN 61
645:TN 60
625:MR 41
620:MR 31
589:ASN4G
574:Hadès
429:(PDF)
422:(PDF)
373:(PDF)
366:(PDF)
282:(PDF)
149:Airix
119:Yield
721:FOST
579:ASMP
437:2013
404:2013
381:2013
346:2018
320:2013
294:2013
264:2011
237:2013
91:and
19:The
716:FAS
695:TNO
690:TNA
71:'s
69:CEA
62:TNO
58:M51
54:M45
39:M51
31:TNO
745::
336:.
311:.
284:.
254:.
216:^
154:.
143:,
135:,
87:,
64:.
486:e
479:t
472:v
439:.
406:.
383:.
348:.
322:.
296:.
266:.
239:.
25:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.