Force de frappe Totally Explained

Everything about Force De Frappe totally explained

The Force de frappe (literally Strike Force; meant for dissuasion, for example Deterrence) is the designation of what used to be a triad of air-, sea- and land-based French Nuclear Forces, part of the Military of France. France has the third largest nuclear force in the world, after Russia and the United States (see Estimated stockpiles).

History

The decision to arm France with nuclear weapons was made in the mid-1950s by the administration of Pierre Mendès-France under the Fourth Republic. It is Charles de Gaulle, however, who upon his return to power in 1958 solidified the initial vision into the well-defined concept of a fully independent Force de Frappe capable of protecting France from a Soviet attack independently from NATO, which de Gaulle considered to be dominated by the United States to an unacceptable degree. In particular, France was concerned that, in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, the United States, already bogged down in the Vietnam War and afraid of Soviet retaliation against the United States proper, wouldn't come to the aid of its Western European allies.
The strategic concept behind the Force de frappe was the so-called dissuasion du faible au fort (Weak-to-strong deterrence), for example, the capability of inflicting to a more powerful enemy more damage than the complete destruction of France would represent. The enemy, having more to lose, would therefore refrain from proceeding further (see MAD). The principle was summarized in a statement attributed to De Gaulle himself:

Within ten years, we'll have the means to kill 80 million Russians. I truly believe that one doesn't light-heartedly attack people who are able to kill 80 million Russians, even if one can kill 800 million French, that's if there were 800 million French.

De Gaulle's vision of the Force de Frappe featured the same "triad" of air-based, land-based, and sea-based means of deterrence that had been deployed by the United States and the Soviet Union. Work on these components had started in the late 1950s and was vigorously accelerated as soon as De Gaulle became President.
   France conducted its first nuclear test in 1960 and operationally viable weapons became available in 1964.
   Initially, the Force de frappe consisted of an air-based component only around the newly developed Dassault Mirage IV strategic bomber, designed to carry gravity bombs over targets in the (now former) Eastern bloc. This component was declared operational in October 1964 and has been continually modernized since then. In particular, the bomber version of the Mirage IV was retired in 1996 to be replaced with the Mirage 2000-N.
   A land-based component was added in August 1971 with the commissionning of the 18-silo IRBM launch site at Plateau d'Albion in the Vaucluse region. Later, the land element was augmented with the mobile short-range Pluton and Hadès missiles, designed to be launched from the front lines at approaching Soviet armies. Since it was deemed that a full-scale Soviet invasion of Europe was unlikely to be stopped by conventional forces, these weapons were meant as a "final warning" (ultime avertissement) which would tell the enemy that further advance would trigger a full-scale nuclear attack on its main cities. The Pluton, introduced in 1974, was retired in 1993 and its successor, the Hadès, was produced in limited numbers in the 1990s and placed in storage in 1995 (the last missile was dismantled on June 23, 1997). The Albion site, approaching obsolescence and deemed no longer relevant following the fall of the Soviet Union, was shut down in 1999.
   The sea-based component of the triad entered service in December 1971 with the commissioning of Le Redoutable, France's first ballistic missile submarine. Since then, the sea-based deterrent has expanded to a force of four submarines, two of which are always out on patrol.

Present state

Land-based component

France doesn't have active IRBMs anymore, the IRBM base at the Plateau d'Albion (Vaucluse region) has been deactivated in 1999. All army units equipped with SRBMs as the Pluton and Hadès missiles have been disbanded at the same time.

Sea-based component

The French Navy includes a nuclear strategic branch, the Force Océanique Stratégique, composed of a fleet of:

Four nuclear ballistic submarines: one Redoutable-class unit (L'Inflexible) of 1970s design, armed with the M4 SLBM, and three Triomphant-class SSBNs (Le Triomphant, Le Téméraire, and Le Vigilant) of late 1980s design, armed with the more modern M45 SLBM. Starting in 2010, the longer-range M51 SLBM will gradually replace the M45.
Six Rubis-class nuclear attack submarines of late 1970s design, tasked with protecting the SSBN fleet.

One additional Triomphant-class SSBN, Le Terrible, is under construction and is scheduled for commissioning in 2008 to replace the aging L'Inflexible.
Development of the new Barracuda class of attack submarines is under way to replace all Rubis-class boats. Deliveries are scheduled from 2016 to 2026.

Air-based component

The air force has 60 Mirage 2000 N long range multirole aircraft carrying ASMP medium-range attack missiles with nuclear warheads. These aircraft replaced the initial Mirage IVA(ttaque)and P(enetration) versions. They are home based at Luxeuil Air Base, Istres Air Base and Avord Air Base. In the near future the new Rafale will also be able to carry ASMP's.

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