The French Navy has successfully launched an M51 strategic missile in the Bay of Audierne, in France’s western-most Finisterre district.

The missile was successfully fired from the Le Terrible submarine, demonstrating the vessel’s capacity to launch a nuclear strategic missile under operational conditions.

The French defence procurement agencies at Biscarosse and Quimper, and the navy’s trials ship, Monge, tracked the missile’s entire flight after launch.

The missile successfully hit a target in the middle of the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometers from the coast.