France Constructs Nuclear Testing Simulation Facility

France has begun work on a $2.2 billion laser facility for use in simulating nuclear weapons tests, the Financial Times reported Saturday (see GSN, Oct. 15).

The Megajoule laser complex is being constructed 30 miles south of Bordeaux by the French Defense Ministry and the French nuclear energy agency. France believes that a final set of six nuclear tests conducted in the Pacific Ocean in the mid-1990s will give its laser facility an advantage over a U.S. laser currently under construction, according to the Times.

While the French laser is set to become operational in 2010, after its U.S. counterpart, France has already developed a laser prototype that became operational this year for testing, the Times reported. The United States has decided not to build a prototype of its laser to save money.

In addition to the Megajoule complex, the French nuclear testing infrastructure also includes the Airix X-ray system in the Champagne region and Europe’s most powerful supercomputer located at a facility near Paris, the Times reported (Paul Betts, Financial Times, Oct. 18).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.