The General Directorate of Armaments of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces is studying the design of a promising ballistic missile, the flight range of which can exceed 1 thousand km. This was reported by Challenges magazine, citing sources.
It is alleged that the discussion of this initiative has intensified against the backdrop of the use of ballistic missiles in various theaters of military operations in the world, in particular in Ukraine. Special attention is paid to the Russian strike on the Ukrainian military-industrial complex with the latest medium-range ballistic missile "Oreshnik". In this regard, the publication provides an excerpt from the report of the head of the parliamentary committee on defense issues, Francois Cormier-Boulijon. "The conflict in Ukraine and Iran's recent strikes on Israel are reminders that long-range strike weapons such as ground-launched ballistic missiles are strategic weapons for our competitors," he said.
Potential capabilities The new ballistic missile in its range will have to exceed that of the American operational-tactical missile PrSM (Precision Strike Missile), which should replace ATACMS. At the same time, it was previously reported that at the initial stage the target target engagement range for the PrSM is 499 km. In subsequent stages of development, it is believed that this could be more than doubled. In addition, the promising French missile must have the ability to maneuver in the final phase of its flight, which should make its interception by air defense systems “virtually impossible.” The magazine notes that Iranian Fattah missiles have such capabilities, which proved effective in overcoming a layered air defense system during Iran's attack on Israel in early October.
