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France's missile M51 soars into the air during its first test in Biscarosse November 9, 2006. In project to modernise France's nuclear arsenal, the M51 will weigh half again as much as the existing M45, allowing it carry up to six warheads over an intercontinental range. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>> |
BEIJING, Nov. 10 -- France has successfully tested a new long-range nuclear missile over the Atlantic Ocean. The launch aims to push forward a new generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The submarine-launched M-51 missile carried no nuclear weapon for the test flight on Thursday. It has a range of 6,000 kilometers that's 50 percent further than that of the M-45 it will replace. The M-51 was developed by European aerospace giant EADS.
It was fired from the CELM test site at Biscarrosse about 70 kilometers from the southwestern city of Bordeaux. The new missile is due to come into service around 2010. The French defense ministry says it has enhanced accuracy and is designed to reduce "collateral damage".
(Source: CCTV.com)
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