BASIC Getting to Zero Papers, No. 2
Sarkozy and French nuclear deterrence
15 July 2008
Jean-Marie Collin
This Paper is also available in pdf
format.
Summary
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made a clear commitment
to retain a reduced but modernized strategic nuclear force,
and presented an 8-point disarmament plan to the international
community focused on reduced numbers and alert status, a fissile
material cut-off, a test ban and greater transparency. He
outlined these steps in his first speech on French nuclear
deterrence policy, when launching the fourth new nuclear ballistic
missile submarine Le Terrible (translated as "The
Fearsome") on March 21, 2008.
He confirmed the French attachment to the policy of nuclear
deterrence, describing it as the nation's life insurance policy,
and a contribution to European security in the face of the
looming threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. At the same
time, he announced a unilateral reduction in the arsenal to
less than 300 warheads, saying that this reflected a decline
in the risks and the threats France faces. He also presented
an eight-point multilateral nuclear disarmament plan for discussion
between the nuclear weapon states. This comes at a time of
high-paced modernization in all elements of the French nuclear
arsenal, the largest in Europe and the fourth in the world.
The modernization of the French nuclear arsenal
The French nuclear arsenal has two components: the FOST -
Force Océanique Stratégique (Strategic Oceanic
force) and the FAS - Force Aérienne Stratégique
(Strategic Air force). All elements of the warheads and their
missiles will have been renewed between 2008 and 2015. The
forthcoming Defence Ministry publication, the "White Book"
(le Livre Blanc, July 2008), should specify the elements of
the French strategic forces.
The Strategic Oceanic Force (FOST) comprises four submarines,
though currently only three are operational (Le
Triomphant, Le
Téméraire, Le
Vigilant), deploying M-45 missiles. The fourth, launched
by President Sarkozy in March and named Le Terrible,
will be operational in 2010, and will be the first to be equipped
with the new M-51 missile (with a range of 6000 to 8000 km).
The other three will receive M-51s over the following five
years. Each submarine carries up to sixteen missiles, and
each missile can be equipped with up to six nuclear warheads
maximum TN-75 (150 kt). President Chirac announced in January
2006 that "the number of nuclear warheads has been reduced
on some missiles in our submarines". The M-51 will carry a
new nuclear warhead (the TNO). The total number of warheads
within the submarine force will be 249. FOST also includes
six Rubis class nuclear attack submarines, to protect
the aircraft carrier, the strategic nuclear submarines and
conduct research and intelligence. The Rubis class
is slated for replacement the Barracuda class in
2017.
The Strategic Air Forces (FAS) have existed since 1964. These
will now comprise forty land-based Mirage 2000-N bombers shortly
to deploy the new stand-off ASMP-A missile each with the new
TNA warhead, and ten dual-purpose Super Etendard Modernisés
fighter-bombers based upon the nuclear aircraft carrier
Charles de Gaulle and armed with ASMP missiles.
The first Rafale F3 will come into service with the FAS in
2010.
France continues its nuclear test simulation program, started
in 1994 to realize, test and assure the safety of its future
nuclear warheads. The principal element of this program is
the Laser Mégajoule (LMJ, a system with similarities
to the US National Ignition Facility), based at Barp, near
Bordeaux, and planned to be operational in 2012.
Sarkozy announced cuts in nuclear arsenal
It is a convenient moment, therefore, for the President to
declare an "adjustment" of French nuclear forces to reflect
changed realities, according to the "principle of strict sufficiency",
in a display of unprecedented transparency. He announced a
reduction by a third "of nuclear weapons, missiles and
planes" for the airborne component, with the result that
"the French arsenal will include less than 300 nuclear
warheads" (a reduction of around 50), declared for the
first time that France has "no other weapons than those
in its operational stocks", and confirmed a 1997 announcement
that French missiles would not be targeted and that their
alert status would be reduced.
The reduction in the arsenal by roughly fifty warheads will
free up about 200 kg of plutonium and 1250 kg of highly enriched
uranium. In a demonstration of France's commitment not to
produce more fissile material, and to invite other states
to follow France's lead, President Sarkozy invited "international
experts to come to note the dismantling of our installations
of Pierrelatte and Marcoule". A Foreign Ministry official
has argued that "this invitation shows the willingness of
France to promote the transparency in its efforts at disarmament
in an unequalled way". The international observers could include
members of the IAEA or independents experts. No concrete plan
or calendar for such visits has been developed so far, but
it is likely that the first visits could take place in 2009.
Multilateral nuclear disarmament plan
President Sarkozy announced an eight-point action plan:
• Universal ratification of the CTBT
• Transparent and verifiable dismantling of all
nuclear testing sites
• Immediate opening of negotiations in the CD
on a fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT)
• Immediate international moratorium on fissile
material production
• Agreement between the P5 on transparency measures
• Start negotiating to ban short and medium range
ground-to-ground missiles
• International implementation of the Hague Code
of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC)
• "Mobilization in all other fields of disarmament"
Alongside this action plan, the French Defence and Foreign
Ministries have launched a charm offensive outlining France's
record since the Cold War and calling on fellow nuclear weapon
states to cooperate in negotiating in these areas. It remains
to be seen how these challenges will be taken up, or whether
they will join the many other proposals that have been neglected.
Jean-Marie Collin is an independent consultant in France.
His area of expertise covers French nuclear weapons, nuclear
proliferation, arms control and cluster munitions. He collaborates
with different NGOs (Greenpeace, Handicap International, International
Panel on Fissile Materials) or French think tanks (Observatory
of Armaments, etc.). He has written numerous reports and articles,
notably on naval nuclear propulsion, French nuclear deterrence,
nuclear disarmament, and cluster munitions systems.
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