Missile m51

The M51 missile is a French strategic ballistic missile designed to be launched from submarines, capable of carrying up multiple nuclear warheads with independent trajectories. It has equipped nuclear ballistic missile submarines since 2010, thus significantly increasing France's strike power.

Development of the M51 was launched in 1992 to succeed the M45 missile, with important technical choices notably concerning the use of new materials and new propellants. Despite technical challenges, the development resulted in reduced costs and improved performance, particularly in terms of accuracy and range.

The program involved thousands of engineers and technicians as well as numerous French companies, with production and development sites spread across the country. Several test campaigns were successfully carried out, culminating with the missile's operational entry into service in 2010.

The M51 comes in several versions, with continued improvements to increase its stealth, range and ability to penetrate enemy defenses. The latest evolution, the M51.3, is under development and is expected to be operational in 2025, providing increased range and a better ability to overcome adversary missile defense systems.

The project was carried out by several French companies, with the coordination of the Directorate General of Armaments. It mobilized billions of euros of investment and represented a significant research and development effort in the field of strategic ballistic missiles.