TN 75

The TN 75 is a French-built thermonuclear warhead used on France's M45 SLBM submarine-launched ballistic missiles, carried by the last of the "Redoutable" class submarines, S616 "Inflexible", and by the "Triomphant" class submarines. The French Navy has 290 TN-75 warheads.It is a miniaturised, hardened and stealthy successor to the TN 71. Development began in 1987 and developmental testing of the warhead ended in 1991, but French president Jacques Chirac asserted in June 1995 that a full yield proof test was needed prior to deployment, causing international stirring.

Its first full-yield test was probably the 110 kt detonation on the 1 October 1995 at Fangataufa.

It will be succeeded by the TNO, the "Tête nucléaire océanique".

See also

* force de frappe
* FOST
* nuclear tests by France