Trial Launch of an ASMPA-R by the French Navy

The French Defense successfully carried out a second trial launch of the ASMPA-R missile (Air Sol Moyenne Portée Amélioré-Rénové), the updated version of the air-to-surface missile for pre-strategic attacks equipped with a nuclear warhead. This missile has been provided to the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace and the Marine Nationale who use it with the Rafale B and Rafale M.

The test was performed by a Marine Nationale’s Rafale M with the support of the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA).

Understandably, the launch was carried out with an ASMPA-R missile devoid of the nuclear warhead, replaced with a telemetry data collection head.

The test was conducted by the Marine Nationale, as part of the capability demonstrations of the Force Aéronavale NUcléaire (FANU), at the end of a flight simulating a nuclear attack, within the Operation Diomede, under realistic opposition conditions, in the DGA missile range.

The launch was constantly monitored by the DGA centers in Biscarrosse, Hourtin, and Quimper.

This launch follows the first one carried out in December of last year by a Rafale B F3R of the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace in service with the Forces Aériennes Stratégiques (FAS).

The new test occurred a few days after the operational service entry of the ASMPA-R missile with the FANU; the missile has been in service with FAS since 2023.

From ASMP to ASMPA

The ASMPA is a French pre-strategic medium-range nuclear cruise missile that entered service in 2009, replacing the previous ASMP deployed since 1986.

Originally, the missile was employed by the Mirage 2000N, now retired from service, which were specifically built by Dassault Aviation in the nineties to perform the nuclear attack mission, replacing the Mirage IVA bombers that entered service in the sixties.

At that time, around fifty ASMPAs with about thirty nuclear warheads (Tête Nucléaire Aéroportée) TNA with a power range between 100 and 300 kt were ordered from MBDA FR; the initial requirement was for 79 missiles with 47 nuclear warheads but, in progress, the order for the third tranche was cancelled, thus limiting the number of carriers and warheads actually purchased.

The effective range revolves around 500 km, and thanks to the ramjet propulsion, the missile reaches a maximum estimated speed of Mach 3.

The ASMPA missiles are equipped with the Rafale B F3R of the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace and the Rafale M F3R of the Marine Nationale.

Source Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA)

Photo credit @Marine Nationale