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These are five letters behind which hides a nuclear missile. France successfully tested on Wednesday the modernized version of its nuclear ASMPA missile, which was not loaded, announced the Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly.
ASMPA is part of the air component of French deterrence. Wednesday’s announcement comes amid war in Ukraine overrun by Russia, with some observers questioning a potential military escalation from Russia’s capital Moscow. “Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, expresses her great satisfaction after the success on March 23, 2022 of the qualification firing of the improved strategic Air-to-ground medium-range missile (ASMPA) renovated, devoid of its military load”, according to a press release from the ministry.
“The missile, developed by (Editor’s note: the French manufacturer) MBDA, was fired by a Rafale which took off from the air base 120 of Cazaux”, in Gironde. “This success marks the entry into the production phase of the renovated ASMPA missile, a prerequisite before its entry into service in the Strategic Air Forces of the Air and Space Force and in the Nuclear Naval Air Force of the French Navy. “, specifies the press release.
The medium-range air-to-ground nuclear missile (ASMPA) was put into service in 2009 and is to be replaced around 2035 by a new-generation air-to-ground system (ASN4G). France is the only country in the European Union with nuclear weapons, which can be used either by nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SNLE), or by Rafale aircraft equipped with ASMPA.