french ballistic missiles

Personally, I’d be interested in pictures of Hades and *reliable* weights and performance figures of the M51 (and how exactly it differs from the earlier, more powerful, M5) 🙂

1. Weight:
M5: 48 tonnes.
M51: 52 to 56 tonnes.

2. Warheads:
M5: 10 to 12 MIRVs.
M51.1: 6 TN75 100 to 110kts MIRVs + penetration aids (2010~2015).
M51.2: 6 TNO MIRVs + penetration aids (post-2015).

3. Range:

M5: 10,000 to 12,000 km (Another kind of declaration: from 6,000 km with 12 warheads to 14,000 km with 1 to 2 warhead(s).)

M51: from “More than 8,000 km” to “Near 10,000 km” according to different news and reports.

4. CEP:

Better than M45 SLBM, whose CEP has been declared to be 350 m.

Interesting news. A nice test-launch history, especially when compared with Bulava.

Every test launch is nice compared to bulava :diablo:

@+, Arka

Interesting news. A nice test-launch history, especially when compared with Bulava.

French submarine test-fires M51 missile for first time
English.news.cn 2010-01-27 20:26:59

PARIS, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) — The French Navy successfully carried out its first test-firing of an M51 ballistic missile launched from a submarine, a defense ministry statement said on Wednesday.

The test, conducted earlier in the day, came after three flight tests from land-based launch facilities done between 2006 and 2008.

The test was carried out around 9:25 a.m. (0825 GMT) from the submarine, Le Terrible, at the Audierne Bay in northwestern France.

“(Defense) Minister Herve Morin expressed his great satisfaction with the success, which is so far the fourth experimental flight of the M51 strategic missile without a nuclear warhead,” the statement added.

The missile, which reportedly weighs 54 tons and has a range of up to10,000 km, carries six to 10 independently-targetable thermonuclear warheads.

Six more flight tests have been planned for the missile before it enters service this year.

The submarine-launched missile will be part of France’s nuclear deterrent program.

When in service, each submarine will carry up to 16 M51 missiles.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-01/27/c_13153402.htm

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1524200&postcount=465

Good I idea, I definitely second your point about the difficulties of finding info online!

Personally, I’d be interested in pictures of Hades and *reliable* weights and performance figures of the M51 (and how exactly it differs from the earlier, more powerful, M5) 🙂