Friday, January 09, 2009

M51

IOC: 2010
Total Production: 96
Total Program's Cost: USD$4.0 billion

Unitary Cost: USD$40 million

Origin
France

Contractor/s
EADS

Applications
Le Triomphant

Description: The M51 is an intercontinental, submarine launched, ballistic missile designed to replace current M45 SLBMs onboard Le Triomphant-class strategic submarines. The new missile will feature up to 14 MIRV warheads with improved decoys and countermeasures. The new M51 warhead could also be maneuverable (MARV-concept) in order to avoid potential ballistic defenses.

According to the French government plans, the M51 will be deployed within the French Navy strategic submarines fleet by 2010. The new missile will feature a considerable number of improvements compared to M45. Overall, M51 will have a range in excess of 6,000 kilometers, higher accuracy and weigh around 50 tons, which represents a mass increase of 50% over M45.

On December 23, 2004, DGA on behalf of the French Navy signed a 3 billion Euro procurement contract with EADS Space Transportation and G2P (Snecma+SNPE). The contract included firm order missiles and several options on further missiles over a 10-year period. It was anticipated that current TN75 nuclear warheads deployed on the M45 and planned for the M51 will replaced by a new one from 2015.

The French Navy will deploy the M51 ballistic missile beginning in 2010 onboard Le Terrible, and followed by Le Vigilant, Le Triomphant and Le Téméraire after retrofit.

The first test launch of an M51 ballistic missile was successfully carried out at Centre d'essais de lancement de missiles (CELM) in Biscarosse, France, on November 9, 2006.

Specifications
Number of Weapons: 14

Weights: Max Weight 50,000 kg (110,229 lb)

Performance: Ceiling 1,000 km (540 nm), Max Range 6,000 km (3,240 nm)

News
Le Terrible Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarine Launched

French M51 Procurement Contract Signed

French M51 SLBM Mock-Up Tested Successfully

Operators

France

Image Gallery

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, December 20, 2008

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