FRENCH NUCLEAR AIRCRAFT - From 1964 to the Present Day

For more than 50 years, the defence of France's vital interests has been guaranteed by its nuclear deterrent, which at its peak comprised bomber aircraft, the missiles of the Plateau d'Albion and the nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines.

Since October 1964, the piloted airborne component has maintained unbroken strategic and tactical nuclear readiness. Like the nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, this available and operational component can — at any moment — be placed on alert and activated on the order of the President of the Republic should the extreme gravity and imminence of a threat against France be established.

For the first time, a book retraces the history of French nuclear aircraft, the history of their nuclear weapons and their deterrence missions carried out by the Forces Aériennes Stratégiques — the oldest command of the Armée de l'Air — since 1964, by the Force Aérienne Tactique from 1973 to 1991, and by the Marine Nationale since 1979.

All airborne nuclear weapons systems — the aircraft/nuclear weapon pairing — are examined in context, from a technical and operational standpoint, within squadrons and flotillas: Mirage IV A/ANM, Mirage IV P/ASMP, Mirage III E/ANT, Jaguar A/ANT, Super Etendard/ANT, Super Etendard – SEM/ASMP, Mirage 2000 N/ASMP, Mirage 2000 Nk3/ASMP-A, Rafale M F3/ASMP-A and Rafale B F3/ASMP-A.

The history of these piloted airborne vectors, written by one of the foremost specialists on the subject, is abundantly illustrated with numerous documents, many of them rare and previously unpublished, making it an essential reference work.

Hervé Beaumont is a business executive. For 20 years, alongside his professional activities, he has written articles for major specialist aviation publications, given lectures, participated in documentary films, and authored several reference works devoted to the Mirage IV A/P, Mirage III, Mirage 5, Mirage F1, Mirage 2000, Mirage 2000 N and the Forces Aériennes Stratégiques.

He is regarded as an undisputed specialist in the combat aircraft produced by the company founded by Marcel Dassault and ranks among the most knowledgeable experts on the history of French nuclear forces, in particular their airborne component and weapons systems.

Hervé Beaumont, honorary member of the Escadron de Chasse 1/4 «Dauphiné», is an administrator and member of the board of the Association Nationale des Forces Aériennes Stratégiques.