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NPT Nuclear Weapon State

1. Arsenal Size:
   Active Nuclear Warheads: ~ 348
   • SLBMs carried by SSBNs: 288 (TN75).
   • medium-range air-to-surface missiles carried by Mirage 2000N: 50 (TN81).
   • Super Étendard aircraft: 10 (TN81).
   
   Key Delivery Systems:
   • SLBMs carried by SSBNs.
   • Medium-range air-to-surface missiles on Mirage 2000N & Super Étendard aircraft.
      
2. Estimated Destructive Power:
   46,800 Kt.

 
3. Military Fissile Material Stockpiles (estimates)
   Plutonium: 5 mt +/- 25 %.
   HEU: 33 mt

 
4. Disarmament and Commitments to Reduce Arsenal Size
   
   
   • Legal obligation to pursue global disarmament under Article VI of the NPT
   • Presumably disassembled 175 warheads associated with four systems removed from service.
   • Then-President Chirac's new nuclear plans for 1997-2002 announced in February 1996 resulted in dismantling several weapon systems
   
   Future Commitments:
   • In support of negotiating verifiable FMCT. The treaty should not cover existing stockpiles.
   • In his speech given on March 21, 2008, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that a cut of one-third of the air-based nuclear weapons including missiles and aircrafts. This will bring the number of nuclear warheads less than 300.
5. Nuclear Weapons Policies
   
   1. Nuclear testing:
   • Observed nuclear testing moratorium since January 1996.
   • Signed and ratified Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
   
   2. Use of nuclear weapons:
   • Retains first use policy.
   • Committed not to use nuclear weapons against states parties to Tlatelolco and Pelindaba. Has signed but not ratified Rarotonga. Has not signed Bangkok.
   • Acknowledged the commitments of the NWS to negative security assurances in UN Security Council Resolution 984 (1995).

Sources:

Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen, "French Nuclear Forces, 2005," Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, July/Aug 2005, pp.73-75. http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/n8rn0x5567572723/fulltext.pdf

Bruno Tertrais, "France and Nuclear Disarmament: The Meaning of the Sarkozy Speech," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Proliferation Analysis, April 30, 2008, http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=20090&prog=zgp&proj=znpp

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This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by MIIS.

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