Defence: Successful acceptance test of the M51 strategic missile launched from the submarine Le Vigilant
06.10.2026
On 6 October 2026, the French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA) and the French Navy, with the support of ArianeGroup, the industrial prime contractor for the M51 missile system, and Naval Group, the submarine’s builder, successfully carried out the acceptance test launch of an M51 strategic sea-to-land ballistic missile from the nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Le Vigilant, off the coast of Finistère.
This was the first launch of the M51.3 version of the strategic missile from a nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). This acceptance test follows the entry into operational service of the third version of the M51 missile, developed and deployed by ArianeGroup, in October 2025.
This test, carried out using a missile without a nuclear warhead, was primarily intended to validate the capability of the nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Le Vigilant and its crew to launch M51 strategic missiles under operational conditions.
Demonstrating the full operational readiness and performance of the M51 weapon system in support of France’s deterrent capability, this success is the result of intensive and meticulous preparation carried out over many months by ArianeGroup and its partners, under the project management of the French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA), in close collaboration with the Fleet Support Service (SSF) in Brest, and with the assistance of the French Navy.
“The firing of M51 strategic missiles from ballistic missile submarines represents a major milestone in the operational life of the system, for which ArianeGroup is the prime contractor. This launch marks a decisive step for the programme and underlines the operational excellence of ArianeGroup and its partners: it is the first missile of the third version, the M51.3, to be launched at sea since it entered service in October 2025. Heavily instrumented, this launch also paved the way for the future of the M51, carrying out major experiments to inform the development of the M51.4 variant, work on which began in September 2025. I would like to commend and thank the ArianeGroup teams who have worked for nearly two years to meet the expectations of our client, the French Defence Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA), in terms of quality, deadlines and performance.”
Commissioned in 2010, the M51 is the fifth generation of French ballistic missiles. The M51.1 and M51.2 variants are currently in service, and the M51.3 variant will gradually replace them as it enters operational service. This third variant successfully completed its qualification test launch in November 2023 from the Ballistic Launch Base (BLB) at the DGA-Essais de Missiles test range in Biscarrosse, southwest France.
The M51 missile programme follows an incremental development approach to ensure it keeps pace with changes in the geostrategic context and France’s evolving needs. For ArianeGroup, the only European company capable of designing and producing a strategic missile, this means staying at the forefront of technology and maintaining the highest standards of performance.
ArianeGroup is industrial prime contractor for the M51 strategic missile fielded by France’s Strategic Oceanic Force (FOST), on behalf of DGA. In this role, ArianeGroup is active across the programme’s lifecycle, including design, production, maintenance and in-service support, as well as end-of-life decommissioning and dismantling.
